Keeping Up With The Lab Rats
by lotzalove
Summary: Its the long awaited sequel to Spring Break With The Lab Rats! All the club are working on the same shift now, how will they all get on? And will all the couples be alright? Theres going to be a lot of bumps in the road and obstacles to avoid. Can the gang make it through together? Read and find out! Handy, Wedges, GregOC, ArchieOC, NickOC and a whole lot of friendship! R&R please!
1. The Boys

**Here it is…. The sequel to Spring Break With The Lab Rats! To those of you who haven't read that, I suggest you go do that. As in, now. I've kin of reinforced the main events of the last story at the end of this one, but still, in order to understand the OCs and the pairings you should definitely read it. This first chapter is basically just getting into the storty, which will follow a similar format to the prequel, a.k.a. the next chapter will be some random pointless conversation between the girls. Because I love random, pointless conversation. And I hope you do too! Also, for those of you who read the last one, in case you didn't notice, I added a prologue for this story at the end of that one. If you wanna read that, do, but its set a while AFTER this chapter, there will be quite a bit more to go, so obviously, spoiler alert. If you're going to read it, do, but please don't say anything about it in the reviews in case you ruin it for somebody else who didn't want to read it. Ah, yes, reviews. As always, reviews are absolutely adored and will spur me on to update sooner rather than later! So please review for me? Please? Anyway, enough babbling! This is… Keeping Up With The Lab Rats!**

* * *

It was a Friday, around seven o clock, and It had been exactly two months and seven days since Lexi AND Archie got married. Greg and Archie were lounging in the front seats of Greg's red Ferrari, with the roof rolled right down, letting the evening sun stream in. They had been in that exact position for ten minutes now, parked outside Hodges new apartment building, waiting for their friend to arrive. And they were getting a little annoyed.

"How long can one person take to get ready?" Archie asked Greg, leaning against the passenger seat of the Ferrari and tilting his head back into the sun.

"Apparently, a long time." Greg replied, checking Archie's watch again. He was always forgetting to bring his own and so had taken to lifting his friends arm up at random intervals to check the time.

"I thought girls were supposed to be the ones who took ages to get ready?" Archie asked, turning his attention from the blue sky up above him to his friend beside him and reclaiming his arm.

"Girls and Hodges." Greg shrugged, rolling the roof further down.

"Here he comes now!" Archie yelled, pointing.

"Finally!" Greg sighed, turning the car on again.

"What took you so long Hodges?" Archie asked as their friend got into the backseat.

"Yeah, are you sure you're a dude?" Greg asked him.

"Like, have you checked recently?" Archie continued.

"I think we should ask Wendy!" Greg decided "Or have you not gone that far yet?"

"That's just immature." Hodges informed him.

"Oooh, he hasn't!" Archie laughed, poking Hodges in the arm.

"Whatever. I'm here now. Let's go get Nick?" Hodges asked, colouring a little.

"Fine. Did you text him and say we were gonna be late?" Greg asked Archie.

"Yep. Thanks to Hodges." Archie grinned.

"Did you guys take extra nasty pills today or something?" Hodges retorted.

"Hey, just because Wendy won't sleep with you yet doesn't mean you should take it out on us." Greg exclaimed, silently hi-fiving Archie.

"My personal life is nothing to do with you." Hodges insisted snippily.

"I bet it's you. You're the one waiting for marriage, right?"Archie asked him.

"That wouldn't be too hard for you, would it?" Hodges shot back.

"What?" Greg asked, confused.

"Seeing as you got married to what, your first ever girlfriend?" Hodges directed at Archie.

"I've had other girlfriends." Archie protested.

"Computer games don't count Archie. And you did get married really quick." Greg added.

"I didn't see much of a point in waiting." Archie shrugged.

"You're like that guy off Friends." Greg laughed.

"Which one"? Archie asked.

"The guy who gets married all the time." Greg told him, trying to remember his name.

"Ross?" Archie asked.

"Yeah him." Greg nodded.

"Except I've only been married once. And I said her name at the altar, wasn't drunk at the time and so far, doesn't look like she'd going to leave me for somebody called Susan." Archie objected.

"Still. You got married less than a year after starting going out." Archie insisted.

"It still doesn't change the fact you and Wendy haven't slept together yet." Archie told Hodges.

"Who says we haven't?" Hodges argued.

"Wait, you have?" Greg asked.

"I'm not discussing it." Hodges answered, turning to face the window.

"He so hasn't." Archie whispered loudly.

"Oh look, we're at Nick's house." Hodges interrupted.

"Stop changing the subject." Archie told him.

"I'll call him and tell him we're here." Greg offered.

"You do that. I'll continue being annoyed by Archie." Hodges told him.

"Hey Nick. Yeah. Yeah we're outside now. Ok. Uh-huh. – Shhh you guys, I can't hear him - Yeah. See you in a minute."

"Well?" Archie asked Greg once he got off the phone.

"He's coming." Greg smiled.

"And he's here. See Hodges? This is how you're supposed to do it." Archie told him.

"Hey guys. Where you been?" Nick asked, getting into the car.

"Waiting for Hodgella over here." Greg laughed.

"Hurtful!" Hodges exclaimed.

"Come on, let's go." Archie laughed.

"Next stop, Henry's house!" Greg proclaimed.

"Turn that off." Nick told Greg when he attempted to play his Marilyn Manson C.D.

"My car. My music." Greg grinned.

"I don't make you listen to horrible music when you're in my car." Hodges cut in.

"A, it's not horrible music. And B, we never go anywhere in your car." Greg answered him.

"True." Hodges nodded.

They drove for a few more minutes and then all of a sudden, the music went off. Nick started to laugh.

"How did you do that?" Hodges asked Nick.

"No way I'm telling you man." Nick laughed back.

"Come on Nick…" Greg moaned.

"Nope." Nick shook his head.

"Well ha." Greg said, turning the music back on. Seconds later it went off again.

"Ha." Nick replied.

"Ha." Greg said, turning it back on.

"HA." Nick yelled as it went off again.

"HAA." Greg echoed, as the music wen

"HAA!" Greg yelled, putting it back on.

"HAAAAA!" Nick yelled, turning it off mysteriously.

"Okay you win. What do you want to listen to?" Greg asked, rifling through his CD rack while trying to keep his eyes on the road. This didn't go very well, and ended up with Archie leaning over him to take the steering wheel and drive the car to avoid being hit by a truck. Once they had recovered, Greg repeated the question again.

"How about.." Nick begun, but Greg cut him off.

"No country music." He told him. Then he turned to Hodges "Or classical. Or anything else suckish."

"Suckish." Hodges repeated.

"Problem?" Greg asked.

"Your vocabulary." Hodges answered.

"Your mom." Archie cut in.

"Now that's immature." Hodges told him.

"That's a classic." Archie insisted.

"Your mom?" Nick asked, confused.

"Yeah. Gamers say it to each other when they're talking online to try and psych each other out." Greg explained.

"Oh." Nick nodded, still not quite understanding.

"You really must stop refusing to play online games." Archie told him.

"Yeah. You're like the only one in our little society who doesn't play." Greg

"Even though Hodges is so bad it hardly counts." Archie added.

"Leave me alone." Hodges moaned.

"Can we just change the subject? I don't wanna play your games." Nick asked.

"Yeah, good idea." Hodges nodded.

"So….what you guys doing tomorrow?" Nick attempted.

"Your mom." Archie told him.

"Ouch. I gettit. That is pretty annoying." Nick laughed.

"Especially when you hold your mother in such high esteem like Hodges does." Greg added.

"At least I know how to dress myself." Hodges shot back.

"Wait, what?" Nick asked.

"You missed it. Greg came into work the other day with his shirt on inside out." Hodges told him.

"I was in a hurry okay?" Greg protested.

"Any particular reason you and Kelly both arrived into work late Greg?" Archie asked him.

"Traffic." Greg replied, a little too quickly.

"Sure." Archie said sarcastically.

"Oh look, Henry's outside waiting for us. You taking notes, Hodges?" Greg asked him.

"No." Hodges said snippily.

"Henry!" Nick yelled out the window.

"Hey guys." Henry smiled, taking the last available seat in the car.

"Hey." Archie replied.

"Nice shirt." Greg told him.

"Thank you." Henry grinned.

"You never told me you liked my shirt." Nick protested.

"I don't." Greg shrugged.

"Hey! Well, I don't like yours either." Nick told him.

"Mines the best." Archie insisted, pointing to his shirt.

"No way, mine is the best." Hodges interjected.

"Don't you wear that every day?" Archie asked him.

"No. I just have several similar ones." Hodges explained.

"Mines the best." Nick told them.

"No way. We all have to agree that it's mine." Greg argued.

"It is pretty awesome." Henry nodded.

"Thatnk you Henry. You can be second best." Greg told him.

"Hey look, we're here." Archie said, realising that the car had stopped and they had reached their destination.

"Nothing gets past you Archie." Greg said sarcastically.

"That was uncalled for." Archie insisted.

"Come on you guys, the girls are probably already here and waiting." Nick said, getting out of the car.

"It's kinda funny how we still arrive by gender even though we're all living in pairs." Henry said.

"That is pretty strange. But I would never go in a pink Bentley." Nick laughed.

"And the guys in my Ferrari is kind of a classic." Greg added.

"I suppose it is." Hodges mused.

"Now come on." Archie said, waving them forward.

And the lab rat club followed him into the cinema.

* * *

The funny thing was, they weren't even all lab rats anymore. Wendy and Archie were newly appointed CSI's, along with Greg and Nick, who were now supervisor and assistant supervisor of the nightshift.

Greg and Archie still lived two doors down from each other in their apartment building, although Greg now lived with Kelly, his girlfriend, and Archie lived with Lexi, his wife. Hodges had finally moved out of his mothers house, and Wendy had bought Mandy's half of their once shared apartment off her. Wendy and Hodges now lived their, while Mandy and Henry had bought a little suburban house together so they would have more room for the baby Mandy was expecting in two months time. Nick and Abby had bought a new apartment together, and Nick had been walking around with an engagement ring in his jacket pocket for three weeks now, still waiting for the right moment to pop the question.

So a lot had changed. Yet they still referred to themselves as the lab rats. They almost missed the old thrill of having to sneak around under Ecklie and Grissoms noses, now that they had a whole shift to themselves. They all missed Bobby, their old ballistics tech who was currently in Paris with his wife. Nick and Greg missed Sara and Grissom, who had gotten married and lived together now, and Catherine and Warrick, who worked the dayshift now. But they were actually quite happy together. Happy with the way things were. And even though they saw each other all the time, Greg was still always organising their little outings and meetings and random yet fun activities. Tonight they were going to the cinema to see some Barbie and Unicorns Go To Magical Fairy Flower Universe film. Their plan was to sit next to random children with the Barbie dolls Archie had bought and make conversation about the movie. Also, they were going to cry whenever anything remotedly sad happened and laugh much longer and louder than everyone else. All in all, a great night out.

A lot of things had changed. They were living together now, in couples as supposed to as friends. But they still called themselves the lab rats. And with all the people getting engaged and married and pregnant and promoted, things were probably going to keep changing. It was going to be hard to keep up with the lab rats.

**Here's an idea! Review?**


	2. The Girls

**Thank you to anybody who read chapter one, and a special thanks to LilBadger101 for being my first reviewer. This one is for you! Also, huge thanks to Jessymessy101, CSI001 and GoonieGirl for your reviews. Hope you all like this next chapter! Anyway, as promised, this chapter is about the girls. And it is the longest chapter I have ever written for any story. So that's why it took me so long to get it up. Next update will be faster, I promise. In this one there is a lot more randomness but also a bit of a back story on each of the OCs. Hope you like it! Review please! **

"Where are Lexi and Wendy gone?" Mandy asked.

"I think they've gone back up to Lexi's apartment to get the curling iron?" Abby answered.

"Oh right. Then where's Kelly?" Mandy asked.

"Right here! Sorry, Greg just called me to say they're outside Hodges place now." Kelly told them, coming into the room where the two girls were applying make-up.

"We're going to be so late..." Mandy moaned.

"They expect that. Besides, you and Henry live so far away now it's going to take them ages to get there." Abby said to her.

"Its still just as close to the lab as me and Wendy's old place was." Mandy reminded her.

"Only its at the opposite said of the lab." Kelly pointed out.

"Yeah, so it's way further away than everyone elses." Abby added.

"We're back..." Wendy called, closing the front door of Kelly and Greg's apartment and coming in to find her friends, Lexi in tow.

"Did you get the curling iron?" Kelly asked.

"No, we needed to go put it back." Wendy explained.

"Which we did." Lexi giggled.

"Are you girls nearly ready?" Wendy asked them.

"Yes, I just need to try and squeeze into some jeans." Mandy said, gesturing to the grey sweatpants she was currently wearing.

"We should totally go shopping soon for more maternity stuff." Lexi told her.

"Yeah, that boutique we were in on Thursday?" Abby asked.

"The one with the really cute stripy tops?" Lexi squealed.

"Yeah!" Abby nodded.

"Yeah!" Lexi echoed.

"Does anybody know where I put my eyeliner?" Wendy interrupted.

"Somebody left eyeliner in the lving room, on..." Mandy began.

"The coffee table! That's where I put it!" Wendy realized, darting off to get it.

"Kelly?" Abby called.

"In the bedroom." Kelly told her.

"Hey, do you have any bronzer here? I left mine at home." Abby asked.

"Yeah, its in my purple bag which is in the bathroom I think." Kelly smiled.

"Thanks." Abby called, going to the bathroom.

"Abby?" Lexi called.

"Yeah?" Abby called back, finding the bronzer and going to find her other friend.

"Which shoes?" Lexi asked her, holding up three pairs of shoes.

"Definately not the first ones. Second are good, but you don't want to be making too much noise on the plastic part of the floor if you have to get up. But then again, they're so much cuter than the third ones." Abby mused, examining the shoes.

"I could ask Archie if we could sit on the aisle?" Lexi suggested.

"Perfect. Second ones then." Abby agreed.

"They all look the same to me." Mandy observed.

"Me too. I guess some things never change." Wendy agreed.

"Are these jeans alright?" Mandy asked her.

"Yes, they look perfect." Wendy nodded.

"They do, but not with those shoes." Abby told her.

"Not this again." Mandy sighed.

"Lexi, Kelly!" Abby yelled.

"Qui?" Kelly asked, aprriving into the bedroom with Lexi.

"Tell Mandy about the shoes." Abby told them.

"Show me?" Kelly asked.

"Oh God no." Lexi gasped.

"No way." Kelly agreed, shaking her head.

"Wait a minute, Kelly, where's your closet?" Abby asked.

"In this way remember?" Kelly told her, walking towards the closet.

"Let's see..." Lexi murmured, opening the doors and looking through the shoes.

"You're a size five, right Mandy?" Abby called.

"Right." Mandy nodded.

"These ones." Lexi said, producing a pair of Kelly's shoes and presenting them to Mandy.

"How are they any different to the ones I'm wearing?" Mandy asked.

"For starters, the strap is thinner, the toes are less open, the..." Lexi begun.

"Alright I get it. I'll wear those." Mandy smiled, putting on the shoes and rolling her eyes.

"Much better." Kelly smiled.

"Definately." Abby agreed.

"Totes." Lexi giggled.

"Guys? Are we ready?" Wendy asked.

"You look gorgeous." Kelly told her.

"Thank you. You all look pretty good too." Wendy smiled.

"Anybody in particular?" Lexi asked.

"Mandy. And Kelly. And Abby." Wendy told her.

"Meanie." Lexi moaned.

"You were the one who asked." Wendy reminded her.

"Yeah. I was the one who asked." Lexi agreed.

"Come on, we're already ten minutes late." Mandy said.

"Alright. You're driving again, right Wendy?" Kellyy asked.

"Sure. Even though it's Abby's car." Wendy said.

"I told you, I like guns better than cars." Abby insisted.

"And yet you have a million dollar sports car." Wendy said, rolling her eyes.

"It did not cost a million dollars. And it was a gift." Abby told her.

"From who?" Mandy asked.

"My parents." Abby said.

"Oh yeah, aren't they super rich?" Wendy remembered.

"And super obnoxious." Lexi cut in.

"Did we ever tell you about the time they tried to swap her for another daughter?" Kelly asked them.

"No?" Wendy gasped.

"For real?" Mandy asked.

"She was about what? Nine?" Kelly asked.

"Ten. I was ten years old, and I went through phases. I was constantly going back and forth between the tmboy I wanted to be and the girlie-girl my oarents wanted me to be. So I was in a tomboy phase, five brothers and no sisters you know? And me and Ollie were playing some game with fake guns at some big charity ball my parents were hosting, and I was getting my pink frilly dress all dirty..." Abby said.

"She showed us a photo later, that dress was like WOW. Picture princess Grace Kelly's white dress, but in pink, and the skirt was like, these delicate ruffles with just,..." Lexi recalled.

"Lexi?" Wendy remineded.

"Sorry, dream world. Carry on." Lexi said.

"This is the best bit. They went over to some other little girl sitting down daintily drinking her tea and asked her if she would come take a picture with the family because their daughter had gotten too dirty and would ruin the family photograph." Abby laughed.

"Woah. What did she say?" Mandy asked.

"No. She said it wasn't fair on their real daughter. And then nine years later they met at forensic college." Abby told them.

"And they're still best friends now." Kelly smiled.

"It was you?" Wendy asked her.

"Yep. I was more of a shy girl, and my parents were always putting pressure on me to be smart, and do the best at school and run the fastest and drink my tea the right way. I remember how jealous I was of the little girl who got to play and run around at that charity thing. But we were only invited because we were Lexi's families neighbours." Kelly nodded.

"My mom was a weather lady for six years. That was why she was invited to this charity dinner. And we were allowed to bring guests so we invited our niehgbours." Lexi explained.

"Me and Lexi used to lean out our windows every morning and coordinate our outfits." Kelly remembered.

"They were normally pink." Lexi added.

"I started talking to Abby at that dinner because I loved her dress. I think I troed to buy it off her actually." Lexi continued.

"I remember that. I told you you could have it for five bucks. And you were shocked and asked me what was wrong with it." Abby nodded.

"That was funny." Lexi giggled.

"All the while I was daintily sipping my tea." Kelly smiled.

"Me and Mandy met my first day at the lab. She came right up to my table and told me she was the fingerprints tech and we girls had to stick together so if I had any problems I had to come to her and not Archie or Bobby or Henry. And definately not Hodges." Wendy told them.

"How are you and Hodges anyway?" Lexi asked.

"We're pretty good actually. I mean, we fight a little, but thqt's normal, right?" Wendy told them.

"Just so long as you can make up after and it's not happening too regularly it's fine. I'm moody with Henry all the time now, but he's just so sweet to me it's hard to stay too mad." Mandy told them.

"Nobody can stay mad at Henry for long." Abby agreed.

"True. He is just so cute like." Lexi giggled.

"Hey. Hands off." Mandy warned them jokingly.

"My hands weren't on! I'm a married woman now, remember?" Lexi protested.

"How's that working out for you?" Kelly asked her.

"Pretty well so far. It's just the same as dating except I'm wearing a ring and I own half of everything he does!" Lexi told them.

"That's good." Kelly smiled.

"Me and Nick are getting closer to that point I think." Abby told them.

"You think?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah. I can kinda tell it's coming soon enough." Abby nodded.

"And do you want it?" Kelly asked.

"Hell yeah. I really want to become Mrs Abby Stokes." Abby grinned.

"It does have a ring to it." Mandy nodded.

"Kind of like Mrs Kelly Sanders." Kelly smiled.

"Remember when you used to doodle that all over your notebooks?" Lexi asked her.

"Don't remind me..." Kelly moaned.

"You've got to admit, Mrs Lexi Saders had a ring to it too." Lexi said.

"You've got to admit, you kepp forgetting you're already Mrs Lexi Johnson." Kelly reminded her.

"I was just trying it out. Mrs Lexi Andrews, now that's good. Mrs Lexi Hodges, no way, sorry Wendy." Lexi continued.

"It's cool. I think it's because we all call him that anyway, we can't imagine anybody else with the same name. If he ever does ask me to marry him, I'm keeping my last name." Wendy told them.

"Do you think he ever will?" Mandy asked her.

"No." Wendy said hgonestly.

"Really?" Kelly asked.

"Hodges is... difficult..." Wendy shrugged.

"You haven't slept together yet have you?" Lexi gasped.

"Is that bad?" Wendy asked.

"Not bad. Just wierd." Kelly said.

"Wierd how?" Wendy asked.

"Just is." Abby told her.

"It normally happens faster than that." Mandy explained.

"When was the first time you and Henry slept together?" Wendy asked her.

"Do we have to get into this conversation?" Mandy groaned.

"Kinda. Come on, we all know it happened some time. At least seven months ago." Kelly laughed, gesturing to Mandy's stomach.

"The night we got back from California." Mandy told them.

"For me and Greg it was the night we got off that island." Kelly said.

"But you guys weren't even in the same room." Wendy remembered.

"Yeah, you were sharing with me and Lexi." Abby remembered.

"And Greg was sharing with Nick." Lexi added.

"We kinda dosed Hodges up on chloroform and used his room." Kelly confessed.

"You did what?" Wendy asked, l;aughing.

"Hey, it was hisw fault for demanding he had his own room. Everybody else was cool with sharing." Kelly insisted.

"I wondered where Greg was all those nights. He certainly wasn't in the room." Abby remembered.

"So wait, you and Nick were doing it at the hotel too?" Lexi asked her.

"We beat all of you guys." Abby shook her head.

"Wait... not on the island?" Mandy asked.

"Kinda." Abby shrugged.

"Not surprising. You guys were pretty close to it when me and Hodges found you that time after our fruitless search of the island." Wendy recalled.

"I'm just surprised that none of us noticed." Mandy said.

"I'm just surprised about Wendy and Hodges." Lexi said.

"Not back to this again." Wendy groaned.

"Seriously though. Are you guys ok?" Kelly asked her.

"Yes we are fine. Just because we haven't slept together yet does not mean we have some big problem." Wendy insisted.

"Sure." Kelly said.

"Whatever." Lexi said.

"Yeah." Abby said.

"If you say so." Mandy said.

"Stop doing that." Wendy told them.

"What?" Lexi asked.

"Group answering." Wendy told them.

"Wait what?" Kelly asked.

"Huh?" Mandy asked.

"Group answering?" Abby echoed.

"I don't gettit?" Lexi said.

"There you go again. It's what you three did at the beginning of that holiday." Wendy sauid, gesturing to the three blondes.

"I'm still confused." Mandy said.

"Me too." Kelly agreed.

"Same." Abby said.

"Yeah." Lexi echoed.

"All four of you don't have to asnwer. You're basically saying the exact same thing except in different words. And it's kind of blonde." Wendy explained.

"You, know the three of us are still blonde." Abby reminded her.

"Yeah, and I find that term offensive." Lexi told her.

"The word blonde should describe hair colour and not IQ." Kelly explained.

"I'm kinda with them on this one." Mandy nodded.

"Whatever." Wendy sighed.

"See, that could be described as a blonde thing to say." Abby told her.

"Whatever? No, that's a Hodges thing to say." Wendy laughed.

"Hey Lexi, you never told us when you and Archie's first time was." Kelly told her.

"Um...really...what do you know..." Lexi mumbled.

"Lexi?" Abby asked.

"Yeah? What is it?" she said eagerly.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Abby asked.

"Who me? No way. Hey, look at that building." Lexi said quickly.

"You mean the one we've passed every day for six years?" Wendy asked her, rasing her eyebrows.

"Have we? Really? Wow. You know, it's amazing the things we take for granted all the time when we..." Lexi continued.

"B.A." Kelly called.

"B.A?" Mandy repeated.

"Babble alert." Kelly explained.

"She only does it when she's nervous." Abby added.

"Which isn't often." Kelly told them.

"Wait a minute you guys have slept together right?" Abby asked Lexi.

"Of course we have. What do you think I am some sort of nun? No offence Wendy." Lexi said.

"See. There's the Lexi we know and love." Kelly smiled.

"Now whats the deal with you and Archie?" Mandy asked her.

"You promise you won't tell anybody this?" Lexi asked them.

"Of course." Mandy said.

"Sure." Abby nodded.

"Tell us!" Kelly insisted.

"I actually slept with him ages ago. Like, before we both ended up at the lab." Lexi confessed.

"Like when you were still a brunette?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah. And I don't think he knows yet so please don't say anything." Lexi begged.

"He doesn't know?" Abby gasped.

"We were both kinda drunk. And it was a long time ago. And I had brown hair. And I still went by Alexandra." Lexi explained.

"So that's what Lexi is short for." Mandy nodded.

"Tell us everything. I want the whole story." Kelly told her.

"Me too." Mandy said.

"Same." Abby nodded.

"Group answering..." Wendy reminded them, laughing.

"Ssshhh." Mandy laughed back.

"Well, I was still in college. Archie had just finished. And we met at a bar one night, then went onto a club and then went back to his apartment. I left before morning because I kinda freaked out a little..." Lexi explained.

"Wait, YOU freaked out?" Kelly interrupted.

"It happens." Lexi told them.

"Rarely." Kelly said.

"Go on Lexi. What happened next?" Abby asked.

"Well, I left my number out for him, with a note just asking him to call me if he felt like it." Lexi told them.

"And did he?" Wendy asked.

"Nope." Lexi sighed,

"He never called you back?" Mandy asked.

"Nu-uh. I guess he just wanted a one night stand or something." Lexi shrugged.

"Wait, I remember you telling us this. He''s the Aisan guy with suspenders and glasses?" Abby asked her.

"Archie had suspenders and glasses?" Wendy laughed.

"Yup. And his entire front room was plastered with Star Trek posters." Lexi giggled.

"The guy you told us about though, his name wasn't Archie?" Kelly remembered.

"I know, that's what took me so long to figure out it was him. I mean, his hair shorter now, he's lost the suspenders and glasses, he has a different apartment, and his name is different." Lexi explained.

"Why would a guy make up a fake name?" Kelly wondered.

"Wait a minute, was his name Simon?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Lexi asked.

"It's his actual first name. Simon Archibald Johnson." Wendy explained.

"I'm married to the guy and I didn't know that?" Lexi gasped.

"Greg told me I think. He hated the name Simon after you know that serial killer guy?" Wendy explained.

"No, but I'm guessing he was called Simon." Lexi said.

"Yeah. So he went by Archibald for a bit, but Greg shortened it to Archie and it just stuck." Wendy explained.

"Oh. That makes sense now." Lexi nodded.

"He still didn't call you back." Kelly reminded her.

"When did you find out it was him?" Mandy asked.

"Remember when we were on that island?" Lexi told them.

"Yes." They all chorused.

"Well me and Archie went to get coconuts. And I kinda fell out of the tree and he caught me and we were just there for like, a minute. Nothing actually happened but at that moment I kinda just knew. The same like, chemistry." Lexi told them.

"Woah. Are you ever going to tell him?" Kelly asked her.

"I don't really know how to." Lexi shrugged.

"And he still didn't call you back." Kelly repeated.

"That is true." Abby nodded.

"Now, back to you Wendy." Mandy sm,iled.

"Why do you guys care so much about my relationship with Hodges?" Wendy asked them.

"I think we're all just curious to hear about what Hodges is actually like beneath the well starched clothes." Lexi giggled.

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna tell you that." Wnedy laughed.

"Hey no fair." Lexi moaned.

"You have to tell us." Abby agreed.

"I don't ask you about your sex life." Wendy told them.

"Hey, I'd be happy to share. Archie is like…" Lexi begun, but the others cut her off.

"TMI. Archie's my friend." Wendy told her.

"Yeah, we do not need to hear it." Kelly laughed.

"Tell me later?" Mandy whispered.

"Of course." Lexi nodded.

"Mandy!" Wendy gasped.

"Sorry. Just curious." Mandy shrugged.

"Hey look, we're here." Kelly realized.

"And only ten minutes late." Abby laughed.

"We all ready?" Wendy asked.

"Let's go." Lexi nodded.

Before that spring break in California, those five girls wouldn't really have considered themselves friends. Mandy and Wendy were smart, slightly clumsy and stubborn and very independent, while Kelly, Lexi and Abby were ditsy, dumb, shallow, giggly, a little annoying and very blonde. They used to drive Mandy and Wendy crazy, especially since they were certain the only reason the three of them had even been allowed into the club was because Archie and Greg were attracted to them. Which, of course, was completely true. The conversation had gone a bit like this.

"I can't believe Abby Lexi and Kelly from dayshift stumbled into our meeting today."

"Hey, with their IQ, I don't think they got what was going on."

"They aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed."

"Hot though."

"Tell me about it.

"Maybe we should invite them to the waterpark on Saturday."

"I like the way you think."

Archie had been just a little annoyed when he realized all three girls were crazy about Greg. Like, seriously crazy. And of course, Greg loved the attention. At first. After a little while, even he got tired of it. And Archie never quite forgave them. Hodges didn't understand their silliness and Henry resented them for calling him "cute" As in, the teddy bear way. And Wendy and Mandy sometimes felt like they were letting down the female race. So they weren't exactly their biggest fans either. But a lot changed on that holiday. Somehow, with a mixture of advice from the others and the realization that some guys want to hold a conversation rather than be depended on every second, they started to change. And the lab rats opinions of them changed too.

Once three blondes, barely distinguishable from each other in personality, now they were three blondes, but three very different charecters.

Abby Martinengo, daughter of a fairly wealthy family. She was half Italian, but had lived her whole life in the U.S. of A. She had grown up with five older brothers who had taught her to fish, play baseball and run faster than most of them. She'd also grown up with her father, a busy lawyer who'd akways been more interested in 'his boys' and the heirs to his law firm than his daughter who tried to impress him with sports tropheys and tickets to matches she was playing in. He never came. Her mother though, she never left her alone. Also a blonde, and ditsy by nature rather than choice, she had always wanted a daughter. The same way she'd wanted one of those really expensive china dolls you kept in a glass cabinet when she was younger. Which she still was. Blinded by Mr. Martinego's money in a neighbourhood where there was very little, she married him after dating for two months and despite being eight years younger than him. As Kelly would later point out, it was a love story similar to that of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in pride and prejudice and Gabby and Carlos in Desperate Housewives. And now she finally had her china doll. A china doll who was the school athletics champion and begged her mther to send her to breakdancing class instead of ballet. But as her brothers grew older, and had less time to play sports with her and lend her their baseball caps, Abby finally gave in. She was sick of being a disappointment. So she gave up trying to please her father and started wearing short shorts and flimsy little tops. Her skirts got shorter, he hair got longer. Her tops grew smaller, her bras got bigger. Her shoes became higher, and the time she spent playing sports became shorter. And eventually, it vanished altogether. Another thing she maintained through her time from top scorer of home runs to head cheerleader was her knowledge. She was smart. But once she realized her new clothes and the make-up she'd started wearing gave her the ability to bend and twist boys to her will, to use her body to turn her grades to A's and everybodies boyfriends into hers, she figured, whats the point. Why should she work hard for a grade if she knew what her result would be anyway? Why study and work hard when she could probably get any job she wanted? So she settled into the life of a blonde. The love of guns came from the Italian side of her. Apparently her great grandfather had been in the mafia. And the first time she'd ever laid hands on the gun her father kept in his desk drawer to protect him from the people he'd put in jail, she'd fallen in love. And with a job she loved and three best friends just like the girl she'd let herself become, she was happy. It had taken Nick Stokes to change her back to the way she was before, to make her realize how much better she could be.

It hadn't been so easy for Lexi Johnson, formerly Alexandra Mitchells. Daughter of a weather lady and a hardware shop owner, her family were neither rich nor poor. They were neither over protective or careless. They were neither out of touch nor particularly glamorous. They didn't stand for anything or support any politicians or celebrities or football teams more than any others. They were the definition of middle class. And middle everything else. Whereas Lexi was anything but. From a young age she spent her pocket money on clothes and make-up and shoes. She decorated her room once or twice a year. Changed her hairstyle every two months. Took every extra curricular activity under the sun. Something went wrong when she was born though, because everyone who knew her knew that Alexandra Mitchell was a natural blonde. Unfortunately, her hair was brown. She was smart, with a B plus average, yet was completely clueless and utterly dumb. It was strange that someone could take longer to understand a knock knock joke than to write a paper on molecular bonding in tissue cells. But that was just Alexandra. She got her first boyfriend in kindergarten, Sam Kennedy. It lasted three days, and consisted mostly of kisses on the cheek, holding hands at break time, and hsaring juice boxes and cookies. In elementary school, she started a club, The Pink Patrol. Their mission was to make the playground a better place by wearing pink every day and spreading the pinkness to the other classmates. In middle school she joined every club in existence and won the record for the amount of pictures in one yearbook. And in high school she became the head cheerleader. She sat at the top of the popular table and probably dated the football quarterback for two years. She was constantly on a diet, and was so beautiful and fashionable that every other girl in her school wanted to be like her. But she envied her best friend for one thing, her blonde hair. She was twenty one when she, Kelly and Abby died her hair. That was the same night she decided to officially change her name to Lexi. Because she was officially an adult, free to do whatever she wanted. And what she wanted was the two things she had been banned from doing. Changing her name and dying her hair. Lexi was a classic dumb blonde, with some added smartness. So when she and Kelly became best friends with Abby, and they formed a sort of blonde society, she found it easier to slip even further into her ways to get the guys. So less of the molecular bonding in tissue cells and more of the not getting knock knock jokes. And she considered marrying Archie to be the best thing she'd ever done.

Kelly Arnolds had always been a shy girl. She was very smart, and studious, and avoided social contact if possible. Then Lexi moved in across the road. Kelly was sent over with some house warming cookies her mom had baked and Lexi looked her up and down, sizing her up, before shrugging and inviting her in. Within two weeks she was wearing contact lenses instead of her thick rimmed glasses, her hair had been taking out of the permanent French plaits and was blow dryed to perfection each morning, her resignation letter was handed in to the girl scouts and she spent her afternoons with Lexi rather than reading. They became instant best friends, who shared everything from secrets to sleepovers to clothes to friendship bracelets. Kelly had her first boyfriend in elementary school. Of course, Lexi set them up. Lexi had always been the slightly prettier one, the more outgoing one, the more popular one. But Kelly wasn't far off. She did everything her friend did. And yet was always one step behind. She sat at the popuar table, and joined the cheerleaders. She had expensive clothes and loads of shoes. And yet she was always lacking something. It was the attitude. It was the natural popularity. It was the zest. And while she had plenty of boyfriends and many admirers, she was always second best to Lexi. Kelly was an only child, and her parents spent most of their time abroad with work. She spent her whole life under the care of one of the various nannies her parents had hired for her. Or more often, in Lexi's company. And while they were best friends and equals, Kelly admired Lexi a lot more than Lexi admired her. She was seventeen when she officially ditched the books and started to play dumb, like Lexi and all the other popular girls did. Because, as they all told her, she wasn't going to get anywhere by being bookish. And once she started pretending to be a typical dumb blonde, it was hard to stop. And so even while she could feel herself losing Greg to a suddenly sassy and confident Lexi, she couldn't get back to the girl she used to be. She couldn't let herself become someone who could hold a conversation, who didn't echo the thoughts of her friends and giggle all the time. It was like she'd forgotten. But luckily for her, and for Greg Sanders, she did.

These three girls became best friends in college, and stuck together through everything. Mandy and Wendy became friends with them after the trip to California, and although the three girls acted like themselves now, they were still finding out new things about them every day. Abut they were pretty sure it was a friendship that was going to last a long time.

Nobody was anticipating the events of Friday the thirteenth of August.


	3. Friday The Thirteenth

"We have a reservation for ten." Greg told the lady at the front desk.

"Name." she said, sounding bored.

"Sanders." He told her, resisting the urge to wink even though his girlfriend had not yet arrived.

"How come we always have to book things under your name?" Archie asked as they keft thye front desk.

"Because it's the best name. And I am the leader." Greg explained.

"Who made you leader?" Hodges asked.

"Me." Greg shrugged.

"That's not official." Hodges argued.

"Fine then, when the girls get here, we can vote." Greg offered.

"Look, here they come now." Nick said, pointing.

"Quick, act like we've been here ages." Archie yelled.

"Look bored." Greg added.

"Finally." Nick moaned, when the girls came within earshot.

"What took you so long?" Greg asked.

"Haha very funny." Wendy said.

"What?" Archie asked, in mock confusion.

"We saw you guys arriving less than a minute ago." Abby explained.

"Damnit." Greg sighed.

"The usual?" a waitress asked them, arriving at their table. She smiled at Greg, and leant down in front of him, wiping some invisible dirt off the table and 'accidentally' giving him a view of her breasts. Same as she did every week. And, same as every week, Kelly placed a hand on Greg's chest and leaned in closer to her boyfriend, claiming him as hers.

"Yes thank you." Nick told her. And just as every week, she sashayed away, turning around to give Greg one last look.

The same thing every time. And they came here a lot. Every Thursday at eleven in fact. It was their favourite bar in Vegas. And today, Thursday the twelth, was no different.

"Hey, can we have that vote now?" Archie asked.

"Vote?" Kelly rrepeated.

"What are we voting for?" Mandy asked.

"Greg thinks he's the leader of our group." Hodges explained.

"He kinda is." Lexi shrugged.

"Yeah well what if somebody else wanted to be the leader?" Hodges argued.

"So we're voting on it." Henry explained.

"Write down on a napkin who you think would be the best leader." Nick told everyone.

"This is so childish." Hodges sighed.

"You're just worried you'll lose." Archie told him.

"Alright, write down the name then pass them all to me." Greg said.

"How come you get to count the votes?"Hodges protested.

"Because until we reach a verdict, I'm still the leader. It's just not official yet." Greg explained.

"Whatever." Hodges sighed.

"Let's see. Archie…..Greg…..Abby…Greg…..Greg…David…" Greg began reading.

"David?" Lexi asked.

"It is my first name you know." Hodges told her.

"You can't vote for yourself!" Kelly exclaimed.

"How do you know it was me?" Hodges asked.

"David? Even your girlfriend calls you Hodges." Greg reminded him.

"Fine, so it was me." Hodges shrugged.

"Guys, chill, you can vote for yourself if you want. How else do you think Archie got one vote?" Greg told them.

"Hey!" Archie protested.

"You know it's true." Greg told him with a smile. Archie laughed.

"Anybody want to change their vote?" Nick asked everybody.

"Nope." Kelly shook her head.

"Nuh-uh." Wendy agreed.

"I'm good." Abby told them.

"Same." Lexi nodded.

"Alright then, let's keep counting. Greg….Greg….Greg…." Greg read.

"Damnit." Archie sighed.

"Well, we have a winner." Nick announced, recounting the votes.

"You voted for Greg?" Archie asked his wife.

"Kinda." Lexi giggled apologetically.

"Did everybody vote for Greg?" Hodges asked them.

"I voted for Abby." Nick put his hand up.

"Thanks Nick. But I voted for Greg." Abby told him, smiling.

"That's cool. I don't want to be lab rat leader anyway." Nick assured her.

"Besides you are our boss, so you kinda are anyway." Greg reminded him.

"True." Nick agreed.

"Henry! Why did you vote for him?" Hodges asked his friend.

"I dunno I just…." Henry stuttered.

"And all of the girls voted for Greg?" Hodges interrupted him.

"I…." Kelly begun.

Suddenly, all their protests and arguments were interrupted by an ear piercing scream. It was Mandy. She was slumped down on her chair, her face screwed up in agony. She suddenly began squeezing on Henry's hand, which she had been holding onto under the table.

"Mandy?" Henry whispered, his face going pale.

"Mandy what's wrong?" Wendy asked, turning to her friend beside her.

"It's….I… the…." Mandy began.

"The babies?" Henry guessed.

She nodded, and everybody gasped.

"The babies?" Wendy repeated.

"But it's only been seven months…." Abby gasped, getting up from Nick's lap and coming to see Mandy.

"Mandy, are you going to be alright?" Greg asked her.

"What should we do?" Kelly asked.

"Okay guys, we need to stay calm." Henry told them all, suddenly breaking out of his frozen form.

"Easier said than done when our friend is like…dying!" Lexi squealed.

"Nobody is going to die." Henry assured her, standing up at the top of the table, still holding Mandy's hand in his.

"But…" Kelly begun.

"No buts. Now everybody just listen to me." Henry yelled, silencing the worried babbling and paniced screaming.

Mandy screamed again.

"Nick, call an ambulance right now. We need to get her to hospital." Henry told Nick, his voice steady despite the tears already in his eyes.

"Alright then." Nick nodded, getting up and pulling out his phone.

"Lexi, Kelly, go to our apartment. There's a key under the plant pot, and when you get in, I need you to pack Mandy a bag." Henry told the two girls.

"What does she need?" Lexi asked, her voice high-pitched.

"There's a list taped to the fridge." Henry told them.

"Okay then. Let's go." Kelly nodded, taking deep breaths.

"Good. Archie call Dr. Quigley, Mandy's doctor. Tell her to meet us at the hospital ASAP and explain what's happening." Henry ordered.

"Gottit." Archie nodded, taking his own phone out of his pocket.

"Wendy, call Mandy's parents, tell them that we think the baby is coming and ask them to get down to Desert Palms hospital as quickly as they can." Henry turned to Wendy, who was at the other side of Mandy with Abby, trying to talk reassuringly despite the panic in her voice.

"I don't know the phone num…." she began, but Henry cut her off.

"081 929 6734. Ask for her dad, her mom gets really worked up about these things." He recited.

"Alright. I hope you're all right soon Mandy." Wendy told her friend, getting up to find a payphone that would let her make the long distance call to Mandy's parents.

"Hodges, I need you to call a cab to take the rest of us to hospital." Henry told him.

"A cab?" Hodges repeated.

"Lexi and Kelly have taken one car." Henry reminded him.

"Okay then. Anybody have a number for a cab service?" Hodges asked the others.

"In my jacket pocket." Henry told him.

"Which pocket?" Hodges asked, picking Henry's jacket up off the seat.

"Left." Henry said simply.

"Gottit." Hodges nodded, taking the card out of his friends jacket pocket.

"Abby, Greg, get Mandy's phone out of her purse. Under contacts there's a sub-chategory Close Friends. On that is her siblings and some other good friends. Send a text to everyone on that list except the ten of us. And call Ecklie, tell him she won't be in for a while." Henry instructed.

"Okay then." Greg nodded.

"Henry, the ambulance is here." Nick yelled.

"Okay then. Archie, help me lift her, then call the health insurance." Henry told his friend, seeing he had finished his first job.

"What…." Archie began.

"024 726 3980" Henry parroted.

"Alright." Archie nodded, helping Henry lift a now unconscious Mandy to meet the paramedics with the stretcher.

"Wendy, come with us in the ambulance." Henry called to her.

"Hre parents are on their way, her mom is pretty shaken up…." Wendy filled him in as she ran to catch up.

"For all we know it could be nothing." Henry tried to calm her.

At that moment Mandy regained conciousness, screaming again.

"Or it could be everything." Wendy reminded him.

"See you all at the hospital. Try and stay calm." Henry yelled to the others.

And then the ambulance doors were shut and the siren was on. The ambulance disappeared into the thick Las Vegas traffic, although they could hear the alarm blazing for several seconds after. Then it was well and truly gone and the only things left to remind them was the cloud of dust that had blown up after the vehicle's speedy exit. That, and the fact that they were all standing there, open mouthed.

"What just happened?" Abby asked Greg.

"I really don't know." Greg shook his head.

"Let's keep texting people." Abby told him.

"Do you want a hand?" Nick asked them.

"Sure, thank you." Greg nodded, showing him the list of phone numbers.

"The cab will be here in five minutes." Hodges announced, hanging up the phone.

"We don't know what's going on yet! All we know is that our friend started screaming and clutching her stomach and now she's on the way to hospital! No I don't know that. Why can't you just…." Archie argued, obviously talking to their health insurance.

"It's Kelly. They're nearly at the house now. She wants to know if there's any changes since they left." Greg told them all, covering the phone receiver with his hand for a minute.

"Just say they're in the ambulance now." Abby suggested.

"And we're going to meet them at Desert Palms." Nick added.

"Great. Yep. Okay. See you then." Greg said into the phone, hanging up.

"They there yet?" Hodges asked.

"Yeah, they just arrived at Henry and Mandy's house. They're gonna come to the hospital too when they're done." Greg told them all.

"Here comes our taxi." Nick told them all.

"Let's go then." Archie suggested, finally finished his phone call with the health insurance.

They were all thinking the same thing as they got into the taxi and went to the hospital. If the baby was coming, it was very, very early. And none of them new much about babies. It had been Henry, the father, and Wendy, her best friend, who'd read all the baby books with her, who'd bought diapers and changing mats and toys. It had been the two of them who had watched shows about pregnancy and what to do when the baby came with her, who'd gone through dozens of baby name books. And the five people in the taxi had no idea what to expect. No idea what this meant. All they knew was that it was bad. Because really, how could it be good?

Greg was thinking about something else too. He was thinking about the way Henry had completely taken charge. The way he had told everyone what to do and managed to keep calm even though it must have been one of the most frightening times of his life. He knew the phone numbers for everyone they needed to contact, had keys and lists already made out. He was pretty organised. And clearly, good under pressure. So Greg made a decision. As soon as the whole Mandy thing was over, he was going to make Henry leader. Because he clearly deserved it. And Greg didn't say if the Mandy thing was over. He said when. Because Greg was a positive person. Always had been. He was a glass half full guy, an every cloud has a silver lining, a when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And he was positive that what had happened with Mandy would just be a small problem. Just something to give them a scare. That she and her twins would be fine. That everything would be alright.

As they drove into the hospital driveway, a clock was chiming. It chimed several times, although the friends couldn't hear it, announcing m,idnight. Announcing the end of Thursday the twelth, and the start of Friday the thirteenth. Reminding the friends that Friday the thirteenth brought bad things, and bad things came in threes. But they couldn't hear it. And they didn't know.

They didn't know that within twenty four hours, the life they knew would be over.

Didn't know that by the end of the next day, everything wouldn't be different.

Didn't know that Friday the thirteenth killed the optimist.

And everyone else around it.


	4. Bad Thing Number One

**Firstly, so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been really busy. But heres another chapter for you, and it follows straight on where the others left off. Also thanks to Shadowchaser56 and Goonie Girl, the best reviewers out there! Everyone else, f you're reading, please review? It makes me update faster! Enjoy….**

**If CSI was mine, I would be using Greg Sanders for things a lot better than this story. Just saying.**

* * *

"How is she?" Hodges asked.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Nick asked.

"How's Mandy?" Abby asked.

"What's going on?" Archie asked.

"Guys!" Henry yelled.

"Sorry." They muttered sheepishly.

"Thank you. We don't Know yet. We just got here five minutes ago and they took her into the E.R." Henry explained.

"Where's Wendy?" Abby asked.

"She's been in the bathroom since we got here. I think she's taking it kind of hard." Hnery told them.

"Someone should talk to her." Nick said.

"Why's everyone looking at me?" Abby asked.

"Well, you're the only girl." Hodges explained.

"Girls are good at pep talks." Archie agreed.

"Not this girl."Abby shook her head.

"Come on Abby, can't you try?" Nick asked.

"Nicky, can I talk to you for a minute?" Abby asked her boyfriend.

"Sure. What's the problem?" Nick asked, following her.

"Nicky, you know I'm no good at encouraging or comforting or even…talking…." She begun.

"Abby….." Nick interrupted.

"I'm serious. I'm gonna stuff it up or offend her or…" Abby continued.

"Abby." Nick repeated.

"I'm better with guns than people…I'm.." Abby babbled.

"Abby! Look at me Abby." Nick said firmly, lifting her chin so they were eye to eye.

"What?" she asked.

"What about those nights when I'm upset about a case and I come home, and I just want to go to bed and never get up? What do you do then?" Nick reminded her.

"That's different." Abby insisted.

"Different how?" Nick asked her.

"It's you." Abby told him.

"And you. It's the same Abby." Nick insisted.

"I don't even know her that well. What am I supposed to say?" Abby asked him.

"Just say what you would say if it was you." Nick told her.

"She's different to me Nick. And I've never been through the things she has. That's her best friend in there and I'm supposed to just tell her that everything will be okay?" Abby was almost yelling now.

"No. You're not supposed to tell her that. You're supposed to tell her the truth. That you're just as scared as she is and that you don't know what will happen. But she's your friend too. So you're supposed to tell her that she's not going through it alone. She's not going to have to go through this alone, is she?" Nick said, his voice calm and steady.

"No." Abby muttered.

"That's my Abby." Nick smiled, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm your Abby." She agreed, smiling into the hug.

"Always." Nick agreed as they drew apart.

"Here goes nothing then." Abby shrugged, heading off to the bathrooms. At that moment, Lexi and Kelly rushed in.

"Hey guys, any more news?" Kelly called.

"Nothing yet. We just have to wait." Archie explained.

"Wheres…?" Lexi began.

"Bathroom. Wendy's a little upset." Henry told her.

"Family of Amanda Webster?" a doctor asked.

"That's us." They chorused.

"All of you?" the doctor asked.

"We're Mandy's friends." Nick explained.

"I'm her boyfriend.." Henry told him.

"The father?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. How is she?" Henry asked him.

"She's going to be alright, we've eliminated all major threats and…" the doctor began, but Henry interrupted him.

"The babies?"

"They're absolutely fine." The doctor smiled.

"Thank God for that." Henry said, almost allowing himself to smile.

"So can we see her?" Hodges asked.

"I'm afraid not." The doctor sighed.

"No? But why not?" Henry asked him.

"Well, although her condition isn't critical, she is in a coma and.." The doctor began.

"A coma?" Greg repeated.

"Yes, I'm afraid we can't allow…" the doctor said.

"Wait, what exactly happened to Mandy?" Archie asked the doctor.

"Well, you see that's the problem." The doctor explained.

"Problem?" Nick echoed.

"We don't know." The doctor told them.

"You don't know?" Henry repeated, incredulous.

"We're running all the tests in the book and flying in one of the best doctors in America, but we've never seen anything like this. Everything is working absolutely fine, she's just, unconscious." The doctor explained.

"Can we at least see her?" Henry begged.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. For all we know it might be extremely contagious, and anyway, Amanda" The doctor began.

"Mandy." Kelly corrected him.

"Mandy is in a sterilised room. There can't be any germs or anything." The doctor continued.

"Not even through a window?" Archie asked.

"Fine, walk this way."the doctor gave in, taking off down one of the corridors.

The doctor led them to a viewing room, and through a window they could see Mandy, connected to loads of tubes and wires and machines, in a room so white she looked like she was floating against it. They all drew in breath sharply, and Kelly and Lexi both began to cry. The only one who didn't make any noise was Henry. He just stared at the woman before him, completely frozen. Eventually he took a deep breath and turned away, heading back down the corridor so quickly that it took them all a second to register that he was gone, and another to take their eyes away from Mandy and follow him. Nick reached him first, and caught him, waiting for the rest to catch up before they dragged him into the first empty room.

"Henry?"Greg asked.

"Henry man?" Nick called.

"Henry?" Archie repeated.

"Are you okay?" Hodges asked.

"Can you even hear us?" Lexi said.

"Come on Henry!" Kelly yelled.

"What do we do with him?" Wendy asked.

"He's getting away!" Greg yelled, realising Henry had left.

"After him!" Hodges yelled, and the chase resumed. Eventually, he turned a corner and found them all waiting on him.

"Gotcha." Nick smiled.

"Come, on let's go back and see Mandy, maybe we can get him to talk?" Abby suggested.

"Yeah." Wendy agreed.

They went back into the room and sat down on the green chairs lined up. They didn't really all fit, especially once Abby and a still a little upset Wendy came to join them. Greg and Archie sat down on the floor and Lexi, Kelly, Abby and Wendy squeezed into two seats, giving the others to Henry and Hodges. They stayed there for a long time, nobody feeling like eating or drinking or even going to the bathroom because all they could think about was Mandy.

* * *

Nobody was quite sure how long they sat there, but eventually a nurse came and told them that visitng hours were over and they'd had to leave. Nobody took the news that well. After a lot of arguing, she said that four of them could stay at a time, and they could take turns visitng Mandy.

"Henry should stay." Wendy said.

"Yeah. Definitely." Greg agreed.

"Wendy should stay too." Abby said.

"Yes, that's fair." Nick agree.

"Who else?" Greg asked.

"Listen I think we all want to stay." Abby sighed.

"Yeah, nobody wants to leave Mandy." Nick nodded.

"What should we do?" Hodges asked.

"We could draw names out of a hat?" Archie suggested.

"Anybody got a pen and paper?" Greg asked them.

"I do. Here." Henry said, offering them to Greg and they all silently noticed that it was the first he'd said in a long time.

"Thanks. So it's between me, Nick, Archie, Hodges, Abby, Kelly and Lexi?" Greg asked.

"Yeah." They all nodded.

"Anyone have a hat?" Greg asked.

"No." Archie told him.

"Sorry." Kelly shook her head.

"Here, use my purse." Lexi suggested, handng it to Greg.

"Alright. Who wants to pick the names out?" Greg asked, putting all the pieces of paper into the purse.

"I will." Wendy offered.

"Go ahead." Greg nodded.

"Kelly." Wendy announced, showing the slip of paper around the room for everyone to see.

"Alright. Who else." Kelly nodded.

"Archie." Wendy said, showing him the paper she had just pulled out of the hat.

"Okay then, you guys stay." Nick told them.

"We'll come swap in the morning?" Abby suggested.

"Are you sure?" Kelly asked everybody.

"Yes." They all nodded.

"Call us if anything happens." Greg told them.

"We will." Wendy nodded.

* * *

"What do you want to do now?" Nick asked Greg, Lexi, Abby and Hodges as they left.

"I need a drink." Greg told him.

"Yeah, I could do with a beer." Nick agreed.

"What I want is something a lot stronger than beer." Greg insisted.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Nick asked him sceptically.

"To be honest, I don't really care right now." Greg said.

"Greg…" Nick began.

"I just need to forget for a little bit, okay?" Greg told him.

"If you think it's gonna help." Nick sighed.

"I know it's gonna help." Greg told him.

"Alright then. Let's go." Nick gave in.

"I'll call another cab." Abby offered.

"Will you guys come?" Greg asked the other two.

"No. I'm going home." Hodges said.

"Alright then. Lexi? You've been really quiet." Greg noted.

"It's just Mandy, she was so… so" Lexi began.

"Hey, hey she's not gone yet." Greg reassured her, touching her arm.

"But what if.." Lexi whisperered.

"Enough what-ifs. We need to get you a drink too." Greg told her, slipping an arm around her.

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good." Lexi nodded.

"You up for it?" Nick asked Abby.

"Sure. Why not." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I think we could all do with a drink." Nick agreed.

"Or ten." Greg told him.

"Not me. I'm going home." Hodges insisted.

"Are you sure?" Greg aksed him.

"I don't think getting drunk is the best way to solve this problem." Hodges told them. "This is my stop." He told the cab driver.

"We're not gonna…" Nick began, as Hodges got out of the taxi and started walking home, but Greg interrupted him.

"Your loss!" he yelled out the window.

"Come on guys." Greg motioned them forwards as the taxi dropped them off on the strip.

"Where are we going?" Abby asked.

"The first place that sells alcohol." Greg explained.

"Greg, maybe this isn't the best idea?" Nick suggested.

"Yeah, we should go home or something." Abby agreed.

"If you guys go home, there's gonna be nobody to carry me home tonight." Greg reminded them.

"He has a point." Abby shrugged.

"Fine. Come on, I know a place down the road." Nick gave in.

"Good." Lexi laughed.

* * *

Two hours later, Nick and Abby had both drunk two beers, while Greg had opted for two glasses of whiskey, one of rum, and a lot of tequila. After the third shot, his eyesight started to go a little hazy. By the fifth, he'd lost all sense of what was right, wrong, and just plain ridiculous. Lexi had drunk nearly as much as Greg, and when Nick and Abby announced they were going to head home, and advised Greg to do the same, Lexi was passed out on one of the sofas.

"You guyssss go 'head without me. I'm be fiiiiiine." Greg slurred.

"Greg, come on man. You're drunk." Nick told him.

"Not drunk. 'Sides, gotta wait for Lexi…" Greg said, gesturing to the blonde asleep on the couch.

"We can take Lexi with us too." Abby offered.

"Haven't finished this drink yet. Hres what we gon do, you guys go home, me and Lex come in bout a half hour. Cool beans?" Greg slurred.

"Greg….." Nick warned.

"COOOL BEANS?" He repeated.

He was yelling by now, so, not wanting to make a fuss, Nick and Abby sighed and headed home. Two shots later, lexi finally regained conciousness, and Greg staggered over to her side, mumbling incoherently about going home and taxis. The bartender took pity on them and called the cab service, even going as far as to make sure they were in it and off to hatever address they'd told the cab driver.

"Greggles?" Lexi asked him, giggly from too much alcohol.

"Yes princess?" he laughed back.

"Where do I live again?" she asked him, her voice high pitched.

"Don't rem… don't remember…." Greg sighed, scratching his head.

"Where does you live?" Lexi giggled.

"I gotsit on my ID card, here." Greg said proudly, showing the card to the driver.

"Apartment number thirty six huh? And where does the lady live?" the driver asked him.

"We don't know!" Greg laughed.

"Nobody knows!" Lexi agreed. They both laughed for a while, finding it amusing that neither of them knew where she lived.

"Listen, I gotta drop you off somewhere." The driver explained.

"I go to your house Greggles?" Lexi asked him, making puppy dog eyes.

"Sure you can, I be living…. Aparment number whatsit….." Greg slurred.

"I'm dropping you both there?" the driver checked.

"Yuh-huh." Greg nodded.

Some might argue, as they leaned on each other and stumbled into Greg's apartment, that they were too drunk to have any morals left in them. Others would say the alcohol only added to what they'd both secretly been hoping for for a long time. And two people would claim that the alcohol had nothing to do with it, and it was all them. Because in the end, guns don't kill people, people do. Drink doesn't make you do stupid things, you do. And they did.

**Friday the thirteenth isn't over yet! Please review if you want more!**


	5. Bad Thing Number Two

**Sorry this is such a short chapter, but I wanted to end it here. It just felt right. The next one will be up soon enough, and I know exactly where I'm going with it. For a while anyway. Only two reviews for the last chapter though? I'm still going to write this, obviously, but if you're reading, please review! I love hearing what you think and it always motivates me to write and update faster! Also, I want to know if people are actually reading this. So please, drop me a review and tell me what you think, if there's anything you liked/didn't like, and what you want to see more of next! I love suggestions and constructive criticsm.**

**Anyway, babbling over, heres the next chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: CSI does not belong to me. Sigh.**

When you wake up, the first thing that comes back to you is your memory. When Greg woke up, about two hours after he'd gone to sleep, it was about 7am on the morning of Friday the thirteenth. It was odd, but less than nine hours beforehand, he had been getting ready to go out. And nothing bad had happened. But now, Mandy was in a coma. And he was drunk. Even though most of his memory had come back to him, there was a black spot, somewhere between the fourth and fifth shot of tequila, and from then on, he couldn't remember anything. Slowly opening his eyes, as sight was the second thing to come back to you, Greg realised that he was in fact, in his bed. He also noticed that he wasn't wearing anything. Not even his boxer shorts. And then, just as his eyes were adjusting enough to the brightness to actually look somewhere other than down, he was shocked awake. Feeling is the third thing to come back to you, and Greg had felt a pounding in his skull, the headache that always accompanied a hangover. But when Greg really woke up was when he felt a fist collide with his face. That's when he yelped, and instinctly recoiled into himself. His senses hadn't yet come fully back though, and neither had his reflexes, so when the fist met his nose again, he didn't have time to duck, or even flinch. As the world was hazy around him, Greg rubbed his eyes and looked to his left and his right. To his right, he saw Lexi. She had wrapped a blanket around herself to hide what Greg assumed was a similar state of undress to him. Shit. This time, when the punch came, Greg was ready for it and ducked, but as soon as he came back up it was followed by another, this one hitting him in the forehead. Greg looked left, which was getting hard to do seeing as he could feel a serious black eye coming on, but he did it anyway. And he wasn't surprised to see Archie, his knuckles raw from punching and his face angrier than Greg had ever seen it before. He was rambling at him in Chinese, words that Greg did not understand, but figured that they weren't very nice. Shit.

"Archie…." He began, then stopped. Based on the fact that neither he nor Lexi were wearing any clothes, they were in the same bed, they had drunk a lot last night, and even the smell in the room, Greg could guess exactly what had happened last night. And really, what could he say that would make it better?

Grabbing the first item of clothing he could find, his boxer shorts, and pulling them on underneath the covers, Greg got out of the bed. By now, Archie had gone over to Lexi who was babbling away to him, saying something uncomprehendable and probably not doing any good. Then he heard a knock on the door. Greg moved to answer it, but Archie stopped him.

"It's Kelly." He said. "She was on her way. Let me get it. She doesn't need to see this."

"Archie, I….." Greg begun.

"I'm not doing this for you. Or her." He said, gesturing to Lexi. "I'm doing this for Kelly. Put some more clothes on."

Then he left, shutting the door behind him and Greg turned to face Lexi. She looked at him sheepishly, biting her lip.

"Do you remember…." She begun.

"Nothing." Greg shook his head.

"But I think we both know what happened." She said.

"Yeah." Greg nodded, pulling a pair of trousers and a t-shirt from his closet. "Here." He said, tossing a bra which lay on his floor littered alongside all the other clothes they'd shed carelessly the night before. "I assume this is yours."

"Yeah." She nodded, pulling on her underwear and getting out of the bed to find the rest of her clothes.

"We are in so much trouble…." Greg moaned, wringing his head in his hands.

"Tell me about it." she muttered, and for a minute, despite the situation, they laughed. It was a humourless laugh, with no happiness behind it, but catching each others eyes for a fraction of a second, it was all they had. Then Archie and Kelly came in, Archie with thunder in his eyes, and Kelly with confusion in hers.

He hadn't told her yet.

"Greg?" she asked, her eyes big as she looked around the room for clues. She didn't find any. Her innocence and naivety left her mind unable to draw such conclusions about what her best friend and her boyfriend had been doing. Greg would often wonder if the thought had ever crossed her mind at all, but right now, he had bigger things to worry about.

"Kelly….." he begun, and her bottom lip quivered slightly, sensing what he told her wasn't going to be good. "Kelly…" he repeated, taking her hands in his.

"Greg?" she whispered, tears already beginning to form in her eyes.

"Last night… we went to a bar. All of us. Well except for Hodges but – we all went together. And we had a lot to drink… and I just woke up here and I think… I assume…... well…"

"He slept with my wife." Archie cut him off, his voice cold.

Kelly gasped, pulling her hands out of Greg's, fresh tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

"Kelly I'm so, so, so sorry, I don't remember anything, I didn't mean to, I don't want to hurt you or I, I, IF I could take it all back I could but we think that's what happened and I can't take it back and I…."

"Okay." Kelly said.

"I know you must hate me and I don't blame you but I…. wait? Did you just say okay?" Greg asked, shocked.

"I did." Kelly nodded.

"But Kelly I…" Greg was unsure of what to say next.

"You didn't mean it. You were drunk. And I believe you." Kelly assured him.

"Oh God Kelly…" he pulled her into a hug, and felt her tears against his shirt but he didn't care. He was happy.

"I couldn't ask for anybody better." Greg told her. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Greg, it's alright." She reassured him, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Its sure as hell isn't." Archie yelled.

"Listen, Archie, I know he didn't mean to….." Kelly tried to tell Archie.

"It doesn't matter whether he meant to or not. All that matters is that he DID." Archie shouted.

"But we can forget about this, we can…." Kelly begged.

"I can not forget about this. I can not 'move on' or 'let it go.' I can not forgive and forget."

"Arch…" Greg tried.

"Don't you 'Arch' me. My friends call me that. And you lost that privilege when you slept with my wife."

"Listen man, we had a lot of alcohol, I don't even remember what happened!" Greg told him.

"No, you listen to me, 'man,' it doesn't matter how it happened or why or what you'd had to drink that night! All that matters is that it happened. You went out to a bar with my wife, you brought her back to your apartment, to your bed, and you slept with her. And if you even try to tell me that it isn't your fault, that you didn't mean to, I will punch you again. And again. It's all I can do not to punch you right now."

"Archie, it's not all his fault, Greg…" Lexi said to her husband.

"Don't even get me started on you. Defending your precious 'Greg' even now?" Archie yelled.

"I'm not defending him, I'm just saying that I'm just as much at fault as he is."

"No you're not. I should have known this would happen, when I married you. You can't help it. I should have known when I married a slut that….."

"Are you calling me a slut?"

"You are a slut."

"Archie…" Kelly began, but he cut her off.

"You guys stay out of this! This is between me, and my slut of a wife."

"Do not. Call. Me. A. Slut." Lexi screamed.

"Oh fine, do you prefer whore?"

"Archie! What the hell do you….."

"Listen, all that there is here, is that you and Greg slept together. And you're a slut, and he's a jerk. And that's it." Archie finished, storming off to his apartment.

"Archie wait!" Lexi yelled, running after him.

"Should I go after him?" Greg asked Kelly.

"I think we need to let Lexi do this on her own."

"I'm sorry." He said again.

"I know you are."

"I wish I could just…"

"Sssshhhh. It's okay. There's nothing you can do now. We will work through this."

"Together." Greg said, pulling her into his arms again.

"Together." She echoed.

They stayed together a while, not sure what else to do. They knew that somewhere, Mandy was still sick, Wendy and Henry were still by her bedside, Hodges was still by himself, Lexi and Archie were arguing, and Nick and Abby were just trying to get through the day. Because in the end, what else could they do? What else could anybody do. Greg held Kelly's hands in his, and prayed that it would get better. Because he couldn't bear to see the sadness in her eyes, or the tears staining her cheeks. He couldn't stand seeing the way she tried to hide the way she cried when she thought he couldn't see her, the way she whispered that everything would be okay and Greg knew she was reassuring herself rather than him. He hated the way she tried to smile, and he could see right through her mask to what she was really feeling. And the worst bit was, he couldn't do anything to help her. Because he was the problem. It was his fault. He had turned her into what she was now. And he hated himself for it. But he couldn't risk loosing her, didn't want to risk letting her go. So he carried on telling the same old jokes that she would pretend to laugh at, smiling even when they were close to tears, asking questions that he knew the answer to already, just to fill the emptiness of a silent room. He pretended that nothing was wrong, that they could move on without discussing what had happened, finish the race while ignoring the hurdles. And he knew that sometime, they were going to have to talk. They were going to have to face the problems they'd built up before everything came crashing down. But he didn't want to. Because there was to much to lose. And he couldn't lose her. So he smiled, and laughed, and chattered. He just tried to get through the day.

Because in the end, what else could he do?


	6. It's On

**Sorry for not updating for a while, my laptop is broken so I don't get as much time to type and update. Thank you once again to Shadowchaser56 and Goonie Girl for your reviews, ****Thephoenix1996 ****but I wanna hear from the rest of you guys too! Come on guys, if you're reading, please review? If you're going to follow, please review! It will make me update way quicker! Anyway, for now, here's chapter six.**

**CSI is not mine. Sigh.**

"Archie! Archie wait" Lexi called after him.

"What do you want?" he asked her.

"I want to talk to you." she told him.

"Then talk." Archie said coldly.

"Right here?" she asked, looking at the hallway around them.

"Right here." Archie confirmed.

"Can't we go into the apartment?"

"Fine." he gave in. As soon as they were inside the apartment, Lexi began to talk.

"Listen Archie, what happened last night, and we're not even sure that did happen, but if it did..."

"Can we get to the point?" he asked, his dark eyes unyielding. Lexi decided to go for the long shot. She crossed her arms over, squeezing her breasts together, and began to beg.

"I'm so, so sorry..." she whispered.

"You've said that already."

"How many times do I have to say it?"

"I don't think you can say it enough times."

"Maybe I should show you how sorry I am instead?" she suggested huskily, coming closer to him.

"How do you propose to do that?" he asked her, still not showing any emotion.

"Just tell me what you want me to do." Lexi whispered, pressing her body against his.

"See! Here we go again! You can't make al your problems go away by doing... that!" Archie yelled, pushing her off him.

"I don't understand what I was doing?" she attempted to act innocent.

"Don't play dumb with me Lexi. You were trying to turn me on. Like that would just make me forget everything!"

"I was just trying to make it up to you."

"Listen to me Lexi. Get this into your pretty little head: sex does not solve everything."

"I wasn't trying to solve it! I was doing it for you!"

"Some guys want more than just sex Lexi. They want a trust, and honesty and..."

"You can trust me! And I trust you..."

"I can't trust you Lexi. You proved that when you slept with my best friend."

"Maybe! When I maybe slept with your best friend."

"Oh, cos that makes it better."

"We can get through this Archie."

"You see? That's what's so sad. You think we can get through this. You think we can forget it, and I'm going to just forgive you if you have sex with me too. That proves it. You're nothing but a stupid, blonde, slut."

"Don't call me that!"

"You are a slut Lexi! s-l-u-t, SLUT."

"Archie!"

"You know what? Get out."

"What?"

"Get out of my apartment."

"This is our apartment Archie, you can't just tell me to..."

"I don't want a slut in my apartment." e told her. And then something snapped in Lexi. Something snapped, and she realised that she didn't have to take this.

"And you know what? I don't wanna stay here anymore." she told him.

"Good then get out." he yelled.

"I will." she yelled back.

"Nice having you." he said sarcastically.

Lexi turned around and gave him the finger before storming out of the apartment. She collapsed against the wall as soon as she'd slammed the door behind her, in fits of tears.

* * *

A few minutes later, when the pain had dimmed enough for her to stand, she stumbled down the stairs to Greg and Kelly's apartment, and knocked on the door. Kelly opened it. She wore sweatpants and Greg's baggy Stanford sweater, and she'd swept her blonde hair into a messy bun. Lexi could see the tear stains on her face, and she felt a pang of guilt for what she had done. Behind her, Greg sat at the island, both of his hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. He looked up and gave her a slight smile as she came in.

"Archie kicked me out." Lexi told them, before Kelly or Greg could ask her why she was there. "Can I stay with you?"

"Oh Lexi..." Kelly sighed. "Of course you can."

"Thank you." Lexi whispered, stumbling into the apartment and falling into her best friends arms. Once there, she started to cry again.

"Ssshhh." Kelly soothed. "It's going to be alright."

From the island, Greg shuffled uncomfortably, unsure of what he should do, and guilty over Archie's reaction. In the end, he settled for bringing his coffee out to the porch to give the girls a chance to talk, mumbling something incoherent about 'needing some air.'

Once he left, Kelly drew back from the hug.

"Kelly, thank you so, so much for..." Lexi begun.

"Oh save it." Kelly told her, her expression suddenly changing from one of comfort to one of anger.

"What?" Lexi asked.

"He's gone now, show's over."

"I don't understand?"

"I may forgive Greg, but I will not forgive you."

"But you said..."

"I was acting."

"Why?"

"Greg may think you're oh-so innocent, but I know the truth."

"What truth?"

"You want him. You have done since the day you met him. Back on the island, all you did was flirt with him. But he chose me instead. And you've never stopped trying to steal him away from me. You can't have him Lexi."

"I'm not trying to..."

"I know you Lexi. I know everything about you. And I know that you want him."

"I don't want Greg, I want Archie! I just want everything back to the way it was."

"I don't believe you. And if you try anything I swear..."

"Listen to me. Yeah, sure there was a time when I liked Greg. Like he's totally hot, and funny and...okay, so not helping. Anyway, there was a time when I would have given anything just to...but that time is over now. It's gone, in the past."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm you oldest and best friend."

"Just stay away from Greg." Kelly told Lexi.

"You know what Kelly?" Lexi asked her.

"What?" Kelly yelled.

"Maybe I won't stay away. Maybe I will take him."

"You wouldn't dare..."

"Wouldn't I?" Lexi asked.

"Greg wouldn't do that." Kelly told her, although her voice quavered a little.

"He sorta already did." Lexi reminded her.

"He was drunk. You both were." Kelly reminded her.

"Was I? Was I really?" Lexi asked mischievously.

"Lexi..." Kelly began.

"All I'm saying is, Greg? Woah." Lexi winked at her.

"I am going to..." Kelly started, but Greg coming into the kitchen interrupted them. Immediately, their faces changed to happy.

"Hey girls." Greg smiled.

"Hey." Kelly smiled back at him.

"Heya Greggie." Lexi said, giving him a little wave. He waved back, before settling on the couch to watch television.

Kelly shot Lexi a look of pure loathing, but Lexi just winked back at her. Then, she leant in real close to Kelly and whispered "It's on." And then they raced each other for the seat on the sofa next to Greg.

* * *

And two floors up, in an almost identical apartment, Archie was sitting on his couch watching television. Alone.

He took out his phone, and stared at it blankly for a few moments, trying to decide who to call. He knew that he needed to speak to someone. And in a normal situation he would talk to Lexi. But he couldn't call Lexi.

If he had a problem with Lexi, he called Greg. But there was no way he wanted to talk to Greg.

He couldn't talk to Nick, he was Greg's best friend, and somehow, Archie figured he would probably on Greg's side. He could hardly call Abby, he hardly ever spoke to her, and she was best friends with Lexi.

If Greg wasn't available to talk to him about girl trouble, he would normally call Mandy, because she was a girl and she normally knew what to say. But she was in a coma.

Archie he couldn't call Henry or Wendy, because even though they were two of his closest friends they were still in the hospital, with Mandy and probably were too worried about her to care about Archie's troubles.

Calling Kelly wasn't right either, she was forgiving them and would probably just tell him to do the same. And after all he'd done for her too. It was almost her fault. She was the one who liked Greg so badly that he ended up trying to set them up, but then Greg was sneaking around with Lexi – history repeats itself – so he had to try and attract Lexi so Greg would be available and ready to date Kelly. And then he'd ended up marrying Lexi. And getting hurt. So it was totally Kelly's fault. He couldn't call her.

So that only left him with Hodges.

Sighing, he punched in the numbers. The phone rang three times before Hodges eventually picked up.

"Dave."

"Seriously, that's not gonna catch on. Guess who?"

"Archie."

"Correct."

"What do you want?"

"I don't know. I just called for a chat."

"Can't you chat to your girlfriend? Or Greg?"

"That's kinda what I was calling to chat about."

"Your girlfriend and Greg?"

"My wife and Greg."

"Your wife and Greg what?"

"My wife and Greg…. You know….."

"Your wife and Greg you know what?"

"My wife and Greg you…"

"I'm actually getting kind of tired of this game."

"It's not a game its…"

"How's Mandy?"

"Mandy?"

"Yes, last I heard you and Kelly were going in to see her. And Wendy's not replying to my texts."

"Oh… Mandy… well she's pretty much the same, Nick and Abby went in to see her for the next few hours."

"How is Wendy?"

"She's alright. Naturally she's very upset, but she's coping alright. And her and Abby were quite close so I'd say it will be good for her to have her come in."

"And Henry?"

"Not so good. He's very shaken."

"Makes sense."

"Yeah."

"Are they planning on coming home?"

"I don't think so."

"Really? Did they say anything?"

"No, and we thought it was best not to mention it. But they didn't even want to leave her for a minute, we had to drag them to the canteen to get food after six hours."

"I should bring Wendy a change of clothes then?"

"That might be a good idea."

"Okay then. Who's coming in next?"

"Who knows, Lexi and Greg are having a bit of a dilemma of their own."

"What sort of a dilemma?"

"It's actually too hard to explain over the phone."

"Oh. So they won't mind if I go in to see her next."

"I doubt it."

"If Greg, Lexi and Kelly are involved in a dilemma and Nick and Abby have just been I suppose its just me going in then."

"Hodges?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I came too?"

"Sure, why not. That would be good actually."

"I have a key to Henry and Mandy's place, how about I go over there and get some stuff for him and then I meet you outside the hospital at twelve?"

"That sounds good. You can tell me about the dilemma then."

"Oh, I will."

"Great, see you then."

"Bye Hodges."

Archie smiled to himself, suddenly feeling a lot better. He had found a friend. A very unlikely one, but still, a friend. And a friend in need is a friend indeed. That sounded like something Greg would say.

Greg.

His best friend.

The guy he had became friends with on his first day at the lab.

The guy he had driven out to the nearest beach with to surf too many times to count.

The guy who had celebrated with Archie when he passed his final proficiency test, even though Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Sara had asked him first.

The guy who had nominated and trained him to become a CSI himself.

The guy who he had once watched movies with for 43 hours.

The guy who bought him a playstation four for Christmas, even though he had to order it from Japan.

The guy who he'd called his best friend for more than a decade.

The guy who'd slept with his wife.

The guy who was no longer a friend of his.

Good.

Sighing, Archie turned the T.V. back on.

Downstairs, Greg sat squashed between Lexi and Kelly. The two of them kept talking to him, but not to each other. They kept offering him stuff or complimenting him on everything he did, and Greg felt a funny sense of déjà vu. And he did not like it.

So far, it had not been a good day. And it was only ten o clock in the morning of Friday the thirteenth. There were still fourteen more hours, and one more bad thing to come. It was not looking good for the lab rats.#

**ONCE AGAIN….so so so so so so so sorry for not updating sooner! I promise updating will be much more regular from now on! And I swear next chapter we will go back to Mandy and have less of the Greg/Kelly/Lexi/Archie thing. (Even though that's definitely my favourite part to write about, tee hee) It will probably have a little bit though, because I have to have Archie explain to Hodges what happens before they go in to see Mandy. Then the next chapter will be about Henry and Wendy because I'm sure you're almost forgetting who they are by now, sorry! I also have a Nick/Abby chapter, which I can put before or after the other two, it doesn't really matter which way it goes, but let me know which one you want to see next? PM me or say it in your review! So that's Nick/Abby or Archie and Hodges go to visit Mandy, followed by Henry and Wendy. Review!**


	7. Introducing

**Heya dudes….. thanks to everyone who reviewed and voted, to all those of you who PMed me, thanks for voting, but I wanna see you review the chapters too if you're reading! Don't be shy…. Also, can I say a big welcome to All For Szmanda? I missed you! Well this chapter is about Nick and Abby! And sorry I messed up the timeline so it doesn't quite fit in with thither chapters, forgive me?**

When Abby woke up, she did the first thing she did every morning, stumbled into the ensuite bathroom. She was always careful not to look at her reflection as she stepped into the shower, because she did not look good in the morning. After her shower, she moisturized her face, applied lotion to the rest of her body, repqainted her nails, blow dried her hair, put on some make-up, sprayed perfume on herself and dressed in tight fitting denim jeans, a red shirt and red wedge sandals. She took a quick look at herself in the mirror and nodded. She was good to go. She found Nick still slumped at his desk, the same place he'd been last night, slumped over his desk, empty coffee cups already collecting at the top.

"Morning Nicky." She called, making him start.

"Morning…" he yawned, stretching.

"You been asleep?" she teased.

"I've been up all night." He groaned, rubbing at his eyes.

"I noticed. The bed is still made up on your side."

"What time is it?"

She checked her watch. "Ten thirty."

"Ughhhh…"

"Still not done?"

"Nope."

"Want some help?"

"It's fine. I'm finished all the paperwork, I just need to work out shifts."

"Bit of advice?"

"Sure."

"Go for a shower. Get changed. Have some breakfast and it can't be more coffee."

"But I still have hours lef to do and…."

"You'll get it done much wquicker once you're clean and you've eaten."

"I hate it when you're right."

"Happens a lot though doesn't it?"

"Haha. Not."

"Come on Nicky. Shower."

"Fine I'm going."

"Good boy."

As soon as he'd left, Abby went over to have a look at what he was working on. On the desk there was an assortment of papers, spreadsheets and open folders. Abby sighed. This was going to take some time.

Ten minutes later, Abby had made sense of the sheets and figured out that with Mandy in hospital, and Henry refusing to leave her, they were down two lab techs. Nick had tried his best to make out shifts for the others so they could cover for each other, but it left them with no days off and hardly a break in between shifts. Also, it was clear by the spreadsheets he had made out that his tiredness had been getting to him, unless Hodges really was working on Satnesdays. There was only one thing for it. She needed two new labtechs. Luckily she had a constant supply of them. She scrolled through her contacts, eventually settling on Brooke Stokes. She hit call and listened to the ringing, anxiously tapping her fingers.

"Brooke?" she asked.

"Abby?" the voice on the ophone said.

"Hye listen, how do you feel about coming down to Vegas for a few days? You're trained in chemistry right?" Abbhy checked.

"Yeah, that's me. What's going on?" Brooke asked her.

"Long story. But we need a tox tech."

"Toxicology was only a tiny part of my course, I'm not even sure if I remember…"

"Look, its fine. Lauren, the swing shift tech will tell you everything. And it's just for a few weeks."

"Okay then. I suppose I'm free."

"Great."

"I can book a flight and be out there by…"

"Don't worry about it. My dad had like.. a helicopter, he can pick you up and bring you there."

"Wow. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Besides we need you as soon as possible."

"Pick me up whenever. I can be ready in like, an hour."

"Really?"

"Sure. Send for me as soon as you want."

"Two o clock?"

"Perfect."

"Thank you thank you thank you! Don't tell your other siblings this, but you're my favourite."

"Aw, you're like the little sister I only had two of."

"Well now you have three."

"The more the merrier. So, see you this evening?"

"Perfect, thanks again."

"No problem. Later."

Abby grinned. That was the tox tech taken care of. Now, who did she know who knew how fingerprints worked? Nobody. She's have to call Tyler.

"Tyler? Its Abby." She said, realizing how long it had been since she'd spoken to her bother.

"Heya Blub, hows Vegas treating you these days?" he asked in the voice she had to admit she m,issed, using the nickname she did not.

"It's alright. But I need your help. Do you or dad know anyone who knows how to fingerprint and is looking for a job?" she asked him.

"I'll ask him right now. DAD?" he hollered.

Abby heard some muffling in the background, and then Tyler was back on the phone.

"Dad knows a girl called Ashley Parker, she apparently does fingerprinting."

"Great, does he have a number for her?"

"Yep, he can call her for you."

"Great. I'll text you the details. Will you put me onto him when he's done?"

"Sure. So, why do you need a fingerprint tech?"

"Two of our techs are missing and I need to try and replace them before Nick gets out of the shower."

"Oh Blub."

"Stopp….. it's Abby, remember?"

"You've been Blub since you were five, and Blub you shall remain."

"Tyler…." Abby moaned, but she was smiling. Tyler had always been one of her favourite siblings. The eldest of five, he was in private boarding school and then college for most of her childhood, so her memories of him were always him coming home, weighed down with presents for her Ryan, Parker, Kennedy and Cameron. She used to love his visits, and he could always make her laugh. Even when he insisted on calling her Blub. He worked with her dad now, he was an attorney at her dads big law firm and had taken most of the clients her dad lost when he moved from being a lawyer to owning his own company and being a high court judge.

"Dad's ready now, you wanna talk to him?"

"Yes please."

"Later Blub."

"Later Tyler."

And then her dad was on the line. "Abby."

"Hey Pops."

"Ashley would be happy to help you out, for as long as you need."

"Thanks Pops. Is two o clock alright?"

"Yep, its okay. So since Ashley lives not far from here, the helicopter will stop off there first. We can pick up Nicholas' sister after and then fly them both to Vegas."

"That sounds great Pops. Hows work?"

"Same as always Abby. Too many clients, too little time."

"Same as always."

"What? Yes I'll be right there I have to just… no… Tyler will you tell Ms Willard that I'm…"

"Pops? I can o now if you're too busy."

"Thank you Abby. I will talk to you later?"

"Sure."

Then the phone was making the sound that indicated she had been hung up on and Nick was re-emerging, dressed in clean trousers and a grey shirt.

"Guess what I got you?"

"What?"

"Two temporary lab techs!"

"Really? Oh Abby, I love you."

"Love you too Nicky."

"Where did you find them?"

"My dad got this Ashley chick to do prints and your sister Brooke is gonna take over tox. They're flying in today."

"That's great. You're the best."

"Just a little."

But listen, we still need a CSI."

"Why? We still have four right?"

"Wendy won't leave either."

"She won't? So what are we going to do?"

"Well, I was hoping you could do it."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Then who's gonna do ballistics?"

"I know a girl."

"A girl? Who is she? Is she an ex girlfriend?"

"No, not at all."

"Do you want her to be a future girlfriend?"

"Abby chill out, I don't like her. She's a friend of Greg's."

"Oh. What sort of a friend?"

"She was his best friend all through college. She studied ballistics."

"What's her name?"

"Mackenzie."

"What's she like?"

"Oh…. She's nice."

"Nice?"

"She is."

"And…"

"Okay… don't take this the wrong way but she looks like something out of the pages of Hiya."

"Hiya?"

"That magazine you, Lexi and Kelly love….."

"Hello?"

"That's it."

"Are you attracted to her?"

"Not at all."

"Alright then. So what's a girl who looks like a model doing in ballistics?"

"Hey, you do it."

"Very funny."

"I'm serious. Abby, I don't say it enough but you're beautiful."

"Oh stoppit….. you just want me to make you breakfast."

"Now that you mention it, some pancakes would be quite nice….."

"Fine. I'll put some on. Don't forget we can go see Mandy whenever we like, so we might as well leave after breakfast."

"Sure. And then get back in time for Ashley and Brooke."

And Mackenzie."

"Yeah, she lives in the Hamptons so she's calling your dad now to make arrangements."

"When were you talking to her?"

"On the phone. I knew we'd need a ballistics tech so I called Mackenzie because I remembered Greg telling me she studied that sort of stuff. I'm texting her right now."

"Wow, I think this has to be the best organizing ever. We got three lab techs in under an hour and they will be here by then end of the day."

"I know. And you made pancakes. This is shaping up to be a pretty good day."

"Except for Mandy."

"Yeah, except for the Mandy thing."

"Oh no."

"What?"

"Greg just texted me."

"Oh no…. we really shouldn't have left him in that bar."

"He woke up this morning in his own bed."

"Well thank God for…."

"With Lexi next to him."

"You mean…"

"Naked."

"Oh shit…"

"And Archie standing right next to him."

"Oh Greg…."

"Yeah, I know."

"What's going on now?"

"Kelly forgave him but Archie kicked Kelly out and he said she could stay with them. But now they're both acting weird."

"Weird?"

"Remember the way you three used to be around Greg?"

"Yes….. don't talk about that…."

"That's what they're like now."

"Oh great. Not this again."

"Who knows why?"

"We might as well drop around after we've gone to see Mandy?"

"Sure. We can talk to them and stuff."

"Today has been so full of drama."

"Tell me about it."

"But hey, pancakes are ready."

"And I am suddenly felling a lot better."

"Me too. Move over."

"Here."

"Om."

"Omonom."

"You sound like the cookie monster."

"You look like him."

"Take that back."

"Nu-uh."

"Then I'm taking your pancake."

"Hey!"

"You're fault."

"Give it back."

"You'll have to catch me!"

"Oh, I'll catch you."

Nick took this opportunity to jump up and chase Abby around the table until he had finally caught her and taken the pancake back, as well as tickling her too, for good measure. Then they headed too the hospital to see their friend who was in a coma and then onto their other friends who were having a relationship crisis. And they didn't let go of each others hands the whole time.

**Awwww….. I LOVE Nick and Abby! next chapter there will be Hodge Archie etc… and also, there were a lot of new charecters introduced in this chapter! (well, three, but that's a lot by character standards) And they are all going to be becoming OCs and they will appear in this story in about two or three chapters (sorry, timeline sucks again) they won't have main roles, but they will all be pretty major! I need some new guys to replace Mandy Wendy and Henry who don't really have much of a storyline for a while because they're just sitting there/in a coma. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, please tell me what you think! MWAH!**


	8. The Letter

**Next chapter is here! Archie might seem a little OOC here, but bear in mind what he's going through? Sniff, sniff. Anyway, enjoy and please tell me what you think?**

As Archie walked downstairs to find his car, he found himself passing Greg's apartment. His hand hovered over the door for a while, as he debated what to do. He knew Lexi was there, Greg had left countless messaged on his cell saying sorry for what had happened, and he had told him on one of them that Lexi was really upset too. Archie decided against going in, he would probably end up just getting angry again and he really didn't need that right now. Besides, it was already time to meet Hodges. He quickly peeked in the window instead, and then wished he hadn't. When he had left Lexi, she was wearing sweatpants and a baggy jumper, but she had changed into shorts and a very low cut tank top. He noticed that next to her, Kelly was in a very similar outfit. Both girls were cuddled up to Greg, their hand resting on his chest while the three of them watched T.V. Greg was obviously asleep, but the two girls weren't, and Lexi definitely looked wide awake enough to know exactly what she was doing. He knew then that he had been right. That even if Lexi had said she'd only ever been physically attracted to Greg, that she never had real feelings for him, somewhere deep down she always had. And probably always would. And so, suddenly not caring if he was late, Archie went back up to his apartment, took a pen from his desk and a pad of paper from a drawer, and began to write to Lexi. He didn't bother with a greeting, because 'dear Lexi' or 'to Lexi' seemed too formal, a strangely impersonal way of ending a relationship that had meant more to him than any other he'd ever had. But suddenly he realised he would always be second to Greg. But he had to explain things to her first. He owed her that much. So he began a letter to his wife, although it hurt him to do this, because it would result in the loss of his marriage, and what might be his only shot at love. But Archie knew it was the right thing.

**I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was angry and couldn't think straight and I was wrong. You are not a slut. You are the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, honest and caring girl I know. That's why it hurts so much to write this letter. I couldn't leave things the way they were, couldn't let those things we said to each other be the last ones we ever said. But this is the end Lexi. It's over. You love Greg. You may not see it, you may try to insist that you don't, but trust me Lexi, you do. I know you. I can't quite bring myself to tell you to go after him, but I can't do that to Kelly or myself. All I'm saying is to follow your heart. And don't look back on me. For what it's worth Lexi, I loved you. And I could have gone on loving you forever. But we're finished now Lexi, the end. And hopefully one day, you can love again. I know I won't. Archie**

He shoved the letter into an envelope, along with his wedding ring. He paused for a second and almost laughed when he thought of what Greg would say to him in this situation. He would probably tell him that he was acting like someone out of one of those films the girls were always making them watch, where you could tell from the first five seconds which two people were going to end up together. Rom-Coms. Sadly though, his life wasn't a movie. He didn't even know himself where he was going to end up. Funny actually, when even a day ago he had been so sure.

Archie slipped the envelope under the door as he passed Greg's flat, and then decided despite being twenty minutes late already, he might as well go meet Hodges. He drove his old black car, realising how long it had been since he had actually driven in it. They normally went everywhere in Greg's Ferrari. He switched on the radio, and almost laughed at the song that came on. Taylor Swift 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' How fitting.

_I remember when we broke up the first time_  
_Saying this is it, I've had enough, 'cause like_  
_We haven't seen each other in a month_  
_When you, said you, needed space, what?_  
_Then you come around again and say_  
_Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change_  
_Trust me, remember how that lasted for a day_  
_I say, I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you_

_Oooh we called it off again last night_  
_But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you_  
_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_You go talk to your friends talk_  
_To my friends talk to me_  
_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

_Like ever..._

_I'm really gonna miss you picking fights_  
_And me, falling for a screaming that I'm right_  
_And you, will hide away and find your piece of mind with some indie record that's much cooler than mine_

_Oooh you called me up again tonight_  
_But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you_  
_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_You go talk to your friends talk_  
_To my friends talk to me_  
_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

_I used to think, that we, were forever ever ever_  
_And I used to say never say never_  
_Huh, he calls me up and he's like, I still love you_  
_And i'm like, i'm just, I mean this is exhausting, you know_  
_We are never getting back together, like ever_

_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_We are never ever ever getting back together_  
_You go talk to your friends talk_  
_To my friends talk to me_  
_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

_We, oooh, oooh, not back together, we_  
_Oh, getting back together_

_You go talk to your friends talk_  
_And my friends talk to me_  
_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

It was odd though, the song really wasn't anything like him and Lexi. They'd never broken up or even come close to it before. It wasn't like they were always breaking up then making up again, or constantly coming back to each other. They had never left in the first place. Until now, he reminded himself. He couldn't say that she was ever picking fights. In fact, the only thing Archie could relate to in this song was that they weren't getting back together.

* * *

He finally arrived, Hodges was sitting outside waiting for him. Archie suddenly felt guilty, Hodges had been treating him completely normally and he should really appreciate having a friend right now. And yet he'd kept him waiting for nearly an hour.

"Sorry." Archie said sadly, parking the car.

"S'okay." Hodges mumbled back.

They stood there awkwardly for what felt like hours, until Archie finally said "do you want to go and get a coffee?"

"Sure." Hodges replied, and they wandered into the coffee shop, taking the only available table in the middle.

"What can I get you guys?" an annoyingly perky waitress asked them.

"Can I have a low fat caramel frappacino with semi skimmed milk and two and a half cinnamon sticks on the side?" Hodges asked her.

"Yu-huh… And you?" she asked, turning to Archie.

"Um…. Just coffee. Black." Archie said.

"Sure thing. Any thing else you'd like?" She asked the two of them, although she maintained eye contact with Archie the whole time.

"I'm fine." He told her.

"Okay so that's a frappacino caramel fat free thing with two cinnamon sticks….." she read back

"Actually…" Hodges begun, but she cut him off.

"And then a black coffee. You like it strong." She said to Archie, winking.

And then she left, her strawberry blonde ponytail swinging behind her.

"She was flirting with you." Hodges told Archie.

"She was? Never noticed." Archie shrugged.

"And she got my order wrong." Hodges moaned.

"Yeah…." Archie trailed off.

"So listen, you have to tell me about what's going on with the others." Hodges reminded him.

"Mmmm…." Archie said.

"Archie?" Hodges called.

"Sorry. What?" Archie asked.

"What were you telling me earlier?" Hodges repeated.

"Oh right. That. Well…." Archie begun.

* * *

Nick and Abby, leaving the hospital, decided to stop off and get a coffee first. They went into the same shop as Archie and Hodges just as Archie had finished telling the story of the mornings events to Hodges.

"Hey guys." Abby called as she saw them.

"Oh. Hi." Archie attempted a smile as he turned around to see her and Nick.

"We've just been visiting Mandy, are you guys going to see her?" Abby asked them.

"Yes, we're…" Hodges said.

"….Just going now. Come on Hodges." Archie finished.

"Bye guys." Abby smiled at them as they hurriedly left. She nudged Nick, who eventually muttered. "Bye" and awkwardly raised his hand in a half wave, half salute gesture.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Abby asked him as soon as he'd left.

"I'm Greg's best friend. And after what just happened between Archie and Greg….that was awkward." He explained.

"Oh. Well come on, are we going to get some coffee?" Abby asked him.

"Sure." Nick nodded.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Hodges asked Archie as sson as he'd been dragged out.

"Nick is Greg's best friend. And after what just happened between me and Greg….that was was awkward." Archie explained.

"Oh. Well come on, are we going to go see Mandy?" Hodges asked him.

"Sure." Archie nodded.

Then everybody went their separate ways. And not just the way they were walking. The lab rats were slowly falling apart.

**Just realized how short my chapters are getting! Sorry guys! My laptop is broken so I have to use our downstairs computer and it takes me twice as long to type stuff on that so that's why. Forgive me? Anyway, next chapter I SWER we will have Mandy, Henry and Wendy. Well, not so much Mandy, who knows if she'll ever be back again (sadness) but the other two. I also promise that soon these storylines are going to begin merging. As sson as this horrible Friday the thirteenth is over (still one more bad thing to go) then people can start going back to work and they'll all be in the same building at the same time so it will be much easier to keep track of them. So after the Henry Wendy etc chapter, I'm gonna have another one of Greg, the one more of Nick, Abby and the new OCs! Excited? I am! (squeals) And then, everyone will be back at work. This story is taking much longer than I ever thought it would, too many characters I guess. Anyway, until next time…. Review? **


	9. Time

**Alright, it has been months since I updated this, but I decided to have a go and see if I can finish it. So if any of my old reviewers are out there please review and let me know what you think? I would suggest reading back a few chapters to see where we are, because I had to remind myself, and I'm the one who wrote it. Anyway, babbling over, enjoy!**

The clock was ticking. It had been ticking since the first time he sat down here. Tick, tick, tick. Every second it ticked. And every tick sounded the same.

It hadn't stopped. And yet, everytime it ticked, he noticed it. Each tick was like a reminder that time was still moving. Moving without her. He wondered, if he sat here long enough, could he outgrow the ticking? Would it eventually stop, and he would be stuck in time? e had no idea of what time it was now, whether it was light or dark. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there. He could kid himself that time had stopped, there was a lapse in space. The world had stood still for a minute. Waiting for Mandy. But the ticking reminded him that it hadn't. It was still going on. Outside of this room, the rest of the world was still going on. Without her. Without them. He had afeeling if they waited too long, time would simply pass them by, leave them behind. Tick, tick, tick. Mandy. He couldn't bear to loose her, loose her to the land where clocks always tick and tim always moves on. The world that waited for nobody. The clock would keep ticking, whatever happened. It wouldn't go any faster, or any slower. Time didn't care. Time didn't change. Tick, tick, tick. Each time it ticked, Henry felt a pull in his heart. Because every tick was a tick that she was missing. A tick that he was missing her. Every tick was a second, and every second not with andy was a second wasted. Tick, tick, tick. He wished life followed the same strict rules as time. It never changed. It never faltered. Never sped up, or slowed down. Never stopped altogether. Why did things have to change, when everything was so perfect? Why did life have to go and mess things up? It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It wasn't how it was supposed to happen. But it did. Tick, tick, tick. Slowly but surely, that thing was driving him to insanity. Just one more tick and - tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, ti... And then nothing. Silence. The ticking had stopped. But time never stopped. Unless it wasn't the time that had stopped, it was him. He was dead. He was done. He looked up, waiting to see a light. But all he saw was Wendy, hitting an already broken clock.

"Sorry." she said. "I just couldn't take another minute of that ticking."

He smiled. "S'Alright. I culdn't take it either."

"So how are you doing?" Wendy asked him.

"Not so great. You?" Henry replied.

"Not so great either." Wendy sighed.

"I don't want to loose her." Henry whispered.

"Nobody does." Wendy reminded him.

"Wendy?" Henry asked, a few minutes later.

"Yes?" Wendy replied.

"Do you think she'll make it?" Henry looked her in the eyes.

"I think that she'll never stop fighting." Wendy told him.

"That's Mandy." Henry grinned.

"That's Mandy." Wendy agreed.

There was silence for a while, a comfortable, easy silence. As an afterthought, Henry took Wendys hand. She smiled up at him, and he smiled back. They sat their together, united in their mutual worry. And they found that they could take comfort in each other. Because at least they weren't alone.

Ten minutes later, Archie and Hodges arrived.

"How is she?" Archie asked.

"No change." Henry sighed.

Hodges walked behind the chairs that Henry and Wendy sat in. Henry immediantly dropped Wendys hand.

"It's okay." Hodges told him.

Wendy stood up, and hugged Hodges so hard that his eyebrows shot up.

"I'm glad you're here." she told him.

"I suppose I should probably tell you guys what happened." Archie sighed.

He told them what had gone down that morning, and although they were shocked and upset, they all realised that it was really nothing compared to what had happened to Mandy. So they all sat there, together, until the nurse came in and told them that visiting hours were over. And Wendy and Henry refused to leave, and they were permitted to stay. Archie waved them goodbye, and Hodges allowed Mandy to kiss him on the cheek before he left, though Archie noticed he wiped his face as soon as they left the room. He had to smile. Hodges, the one person who hadn't changed at all.

Greg, capable of the ultimate betrayal.

Lexi, in love with someone else.

Kelly, able to forgive the unforgivable.

Henry, Wendy, too upset to even move.

Nick and Abby, choosing sides. And not his side.

Mandy... well... she wasn't the same.

But Hodges? He was the same socially awkward, know it all, germphobic guy he always was. And right now, that was exactly what he needed. Something that didn't change.

What none of the friends realised was that everything changed. Sometimes for the worst, sometimes for the better. But it always ticking reminded them of that.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

Tick, tick, tick, tick. The clock was now turned to five o clock. There were seven hours left in the day. And still another bad thing. And that bad thing was going to happen in the next hour. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

**Right, that was just a short chapter to get you guys started. Thanks for reading, please leave me acomment so I know whether or not to continue?**


	10. Bad Thing Number Three

**Well, we've caught up to the prologue! I've put iti n here for those who didn't read it, but keep going down because there's new stuff too! Also in one of the chapters I called Nick's sister Brooke, but I started a new story called the runaway and I accidentally called a girl in that Brooke as well. Anyway, I've been calling her Brooke for too long now, so I changed Nicks sisters name to Caitlyn. Thank you Goonie Girl for reviewing, much love.**

* * *

"Abby, tell Lexi that she is not authorised to view these tapes, and would she mind getting out of my lab." Kelly said.

"Abby, tell Kelly that the tape she was sent to analayse may have our killers DNA on it, and I need to take it immediantly." Lexi retorted.

"Abby, tell Lexi that she can have the tape when I'm done with it." Kelly shot back.

"Abby, tell Kelly that by supervisors orders, she has to give it to me right now." Lexi replied.

"Abby, tell Lexi that I don't believe her."

"Abby, tell Kelly to go ask Nick."

"Abby, tell Lexi that I'm not leaving her alone with the evidence she'd trying to steal from me."

"Abby, tell Kelly that I'm not trying to steal anything."

"Abby, tell Lexi that she knows that's a lie."

"Abby, tell Kelly that I really need to get DNA."

"Abby, tell Lexi that I wasn't talking about the tape."

"Would you two stop this already?" Abby yelled.

"I'm not the one at fault." Kelly insisted.

"Neither am I." Lexi protested.

"That is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard, from the biggest slut I've ever met." Kelly argued.

"Kelly!" Abby warned.

"You two-faced bitch!" Lexi squealed.

"Lexi!" Abby yelled.

"Abby, stay out of this." Kelly told her.

"Yeah, this is between me and Kelly." Lexi added.

"Lexi, take your tape, and go run DNA. Kelly, you made a copy of it, so just use that." Abby suggested.

"Fine." Lexi said.

"Fine." Kelly echoed.

As Kelly gave Lexi the tape, she shoved it into her hands, almost breaking it. As Lexi left the A.V. lab, she slammed the door loudly. As Abby watched them both, she sighed.

* * *

"Got a call out. 419 at the Tangiers. Greg, you and Archie are on this one." Nick said to Greg.

"No way man, I am not going with him." Greg protested.

"I'm already working on a case." Nick explained.

"Well, swap with Archie, he can help do your case. Then you can come with me." Greg suggested.

"Greg, you gotta get over this." Nick insisted.

"Hey, I'm not the one acting like a jerk." Greg complained.

"I don't care who's acting more like a jerk, I'm supervisor and you gotta do what I say."

"I'm assistant, doesn't that count for something?"

"Greg, please?"

"Fine. But don't expect me to be nice to him."

"Just get the case done. We'll go for breakfast after shift."

"Just us?" Greg checked.

"Just us." Nick agreed.

"Thank you." Greg smiled, turning to leave.

"You're gonna have to talk to him eventually." Nick called after him.

"Later rather than sooner." Greg called back. He was too busy walking with his head turned back talking to Nick, to look where he was going.

"Sorry." he said when he bumped into someone. He turned around.

"Actually, I'm not sorry." He said. Archie stayed silent, just shot invisible daggers at him.

"We got a case at the Tangiers. I'm driving." Greg told him coldly.

"No way am I going anywhere with you." Archie said.

"Supervisors orders." Greg explained.

"You're just assistant supervisor." Archie laughed.

"Not me, Nick." Greg said.

"Fine. But you're not playing you're stupid music in the car." Archie said, going to get his field kit.

"I can play it if I want to." Greg protested.

The car journey to the crime scene mainly involved Greg turning on the music, and Archie switching it off again. This happened so many times that it was a miracle they didn't crash. Except for the sounds of Marilyn Manson being turned on and off, the car was silent.

* * *

"Hodges?" Nick asked, causing the lab tech to look up from the microscope. Nick was standing in the doorway with Abby.

"Yeah?" he replied..

"Any news?" Nick asked..

"Same as last time." Hodges sighed. Nick and Abby came into the lab and sat down, still holding hands.

"Look on the bright side, at least she'd not getting any worse." Abby sympathised.

"That kinda stopped being good three weeks ago." Hodges said.

"She's stable." Nick said.

"But one more week and they turn off the life support machine." Abby realised.

"People wake up from comas all the time." Nick offered.

"I know. But still." Hodges said.

"Well, I'm gonna head down after shift with Lexi." Abby said.

"Yeah, I might bring Greg after we get something to eat." Nick agreed.

"I'm sure the others will be down too." Abby said.

"Yeah. I just wish she could hear them." Hodges complained.

"We all do, Hodges." Nick nodded.

"Yeah." Abby agreed.

"What are we going to do about Greg and Archie?" Nick asked.

"I don't know. But whatever it is do it soon, Archie's been following me around and trying to have conversations with me." Hodges agreed.

"Lexi and Kelly are no better." Abby sighed.

"They just need to..." Nick began.

"What's that noise?" Hodges asked.

"It's the helicopter. They're here." Abby smiled.

"Who?" Hodges asked.

"Our new lab techs." Nick told him.

"We're getting new lab techs?" Hodges repeated.

"We called in some friends to help us out. Ashley, Caitlyn and Mackenzie." Abby said.

"Who are they?" Hodges asked.

"Ashley is a friend of my dads, Caitlyn is my sister and Mackenzie is Greg's ex girlfriend." Nick explained.

"Why are they here?" Hodges asked.

"They're going to replace Mandy, Wendy and Henry for a while." Abby told him.

"Doing what?" Hodges asked.

"Caitlyn will do tox, Ashley will do prints and Mackenzie will do ballistics. I'll be a CSI." Abby explained.

"Here they are now." Nick pointed.

The three of them looked up, and sure enough, there they were. Caitlyn had light brown hair, tied back in a ponytail. She was tanned, and had the same eyes as Nick. Caitlyn wore a denim shirt tucked into a pair of tan coloured jeans and a red pair of vans. Mackenzie was, as Nick had described her, gorgeous. She had dirty blonde hair, which almost blew out behind her as she walked. She was wearing a fitted navy floral dress, strapless. On her feet were a pair of navy high heeled sandals The last girl, Ashley had honey blonde hair. She wore a bright pink dress with a tutu skirt, and a pink pair of six inch heels.

"Ashley does not look like a fingerprinting tech." Nick commented.

"None of those girls look like lab techs." Hodges agreed.

"Hi." Abby smiled, walking up to meet them.

"Nick!" Caitlyn grinned, hugging her brother.

"You must be Ashely." Abby said to the girl in the tutu dress.

"That's me." she giggled.

"And I'm Mackenzie."

"Good to see you again." Nick nodded at her.

"You too. Is uh... Greg around?" Mackenzie asked.

"He'll be back soon, he's out on a case." Hodges cut in.

"Is that the guy?" Ashley whispered loudly.

"That's the guy." Mackenzie confirmed.

"The guy you were telling me about?" Ashley giggled.

"Him." Mackenzie nodded.

"What guy?" Abby asked.

"Mackenzie has been telling Ashley all about Greg. She is clearly not over him." Caitlyn explained.

"Great, that's all we need." Abby sighed.

"What?" Caitlyn asked.

"Greg's just accidentally slept with another girl, and now him, his girlfriend and the girl are in some wierd fight thing." Nick explained.

"So two more blondes who like him isn't exactly perfect." Abby added.

"Well, you'll have no trouble with me anyway." Caitlyn assured them.

"You're not attracted to Greg?" Nick checked.

"Well sure I am. But I'm not going to act on it." Caitlyn shrugged.

"Or show it?" Nick asked her.

"I'll try Nicky." she smiled.

"Speak of the devil." Hodges cut in.

"Greg." Nick nodded.

Greg was heading up the hallway, as he passed, Lexi and Kelly came out of their respective labs and ran to meet him.

"Greggie, you're back." Kelly smiled, clutching onto his arm.

"Hey Greggles how was your case?" Lexi giggled, ruffling his hair.

Greg groaned and continues walking.

"It's him!" Mackenzie squealed.

Then she and Ashley ran towards him, and attatched themselves to whatever little space wasn't already occupied by the other two girls.

"Mackenzie?" Greg asked. "How did you?" Then he turned to the other girl, who was stroking the muscles in his arm. "Who are you?"

Hodges let out a small laugh at the bewildered Greg with four giggling blondes hanging off him.

"I actually feel almost sorry for Sanders." Hodges told Nick, Abby and Caitlyn.

"Sorry for him?" Nick asked, incredulous.

"Don't be jealous Nick, you have me." Abby reminded him.

"I know. Nick smiled, hugging her. He had Abby, and he realised, looking at Greg and the four girls surrounding him, that he couldn't be more lucky.

Nick, Abby and Caitlyn went back to Nick and Abbys apartment. They got changed, then Abby went to vist Mandy with Lexi, Nick went out with Greg and Caitlyn went out with Ashley and Mackenzie, who were staying at a local hotel. Caitlyn was staying with Nick and Abby. When they all got back to their apartment it was half past ten. They stayed up and talked for a while. Abby got up to get more drinks, and as she did, she saw an envelope on the table, adressed to Caitlyn. She stopped. How had that gotten there?

"Caitlyn..." she whispered, handing it to her.

Caitlyn took the envelope from her silently. She opened it, and read the note inside. She gasped.

"Cait?" Nick asked, worried.

"It's happening again. How did they find me?" Caitlyn whispered.

"What's happening? Who are they?" Nick asked.

Caitlyn just showed him the note.

_Hello Miss Caitlyn. You thought you'd lost us when you got in that helicopter didn't you? Well you can't. We're still watching. Your hair is lovely today by the way. It would be a shame if something happened to it._

_Much love, Us._

They were all silent for a while. And, somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed midnight. It was Saturday. The fourteenth. The day was over. Had they survived it? Not really.

* * *

**So, you could consider the girls and Greg being a bad thing, but that's really not an event, and it's all kind of connected to the first one. This is new though, and it gives Nick, Abby and Caitlyn something to do. Hope you like it. I have a great idea for the next chapter! Stay tuned...**


	11. Transfer

**Alright, thanks again to Goonie Girl, hope you like this.**

Mandy.

Their Mandy.

She was slipping away.

The machine was beeping.

Faster and faster and faster.

That was not good at all.

It was very, very bad.

Their Mandy.

Mandy.

Henry rushed back into the room, breathless.

"Wendy! They have tests back!" he announced.

At least that was something.

"It's a a very rare disese. They're transferring her to the best hospital in the country." Henry continued.

"Where?" Wendy asked.

"L.A. California." Henry told her.

"We're coming too." Wendy said.

"Of course." Henry nodded.

"When?" Wendy asked.

"They're just going to make sure she's stable, then they'll fly us over." Henry explained.

"I'll text the others." Wendy offered.

"Kelly, Lexi, listen to this." Greg called.

"What is it?" Lexi asked, winking at him.

"Mandy's being moved to a hospital in California." Greg read from his phone.

"What?" Kelly asked, sitting down next to him on the sofa.

"L.A. She has some rare disease so they're taking her there for treatment." Greg explained.

"L.A. is so far away. How are we going to go visit her?" Lexi wondered, sliding up to the other side of him.

"I'll call the lab." Greg told them, getting up as quickly as he could, and running out of the room before either of them followed him.

Ten minutes later Greg returned.

"I've fixed it." he smiled.

"How?" Kelly asked, jumping up and rushing up to him.

"We're doing a transfer with the L.A. lab for two weeks." Greg told them.

"Transfer?" Lexi asked, stretching provocatively.

"Yeah, the whole shift is swapping with a shift from over there. It will be a good working experience and we can visit Mandy." Greg said, turning his head away from her.

"All of us?" Kelly asked, smiling at him.

"Techs and everything, even those three new girls." Greg nodded.

"I have to go pack!" Lexi exclaimed.

"I'll go tell Nick." Greg said.

"I'm coming too!" Lexi yelled.

"I thought you had to pack?" Kelly asked her.

"I can do that later." Lexi told her.

"If she's coming, I'm coming." Kelly told Greg.

"Why don't you girls go hang out with Ashley and Mackenzie?" Greg suggested.

"Why?" Lexi asked.

"They could use somebody to show them around the city." Greg said.

"But I wanna go with you." Kelly whined, batting her eyelashes.

"Me too." Lexi whined louder.

"Please?" Greg asked them, giving them puppy dog eyes.

"Okay." Kelly giggled.

"Sure." Lexi giggled.

"Thank you." Greg sighed.

Greg arrived to find Nick, Abby and Caitlyn sitting around a table. They had dark circles around their eyes, and Greg could see more than ten empty coffee cups around them.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Nick explained to him what Caitlyn had been telling them all evening. It had started six months ago. Caitlyn had been getting notes. Never threatening, never violent. Just notes informing her that she was being watched. They were always typed, and put in envelopes with her name on them, never an addess. In the beginning they had just come through her letterbox, soon they were being placed in her hallway, on her coffee table, on top of her television, on her bed, in her kitchen, in her drawers. They often complimented something she was wearing, something new she had bought, or her hairstyle. They commented on what she had done that evening, who she had met, even on her friends activities. She had gone to the police, they had traced the letter, found no prits or DNA. They had put up surveilance cameras at her house, and seen nothing, except one minute there was nothing, then there was a letter there. Because the notes weren't violent or nothing had ever been stolen or moved from her house, the police had said it wasn't serious enough to continue. However, Caitlyn couldn't do anything without feeling like she was being watched. And now they had followed her to Vegas.

Greg pulled her up into a hug, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him and cried some more into his shoulder.

"Ssshhhh..." he whispered.

"Greg..." she whispered.

"Cait." Nick reminded.

"It's alright." she smiled at him.

"Nick, just because I accidentally slept with one girl who wasn't my girlfriend doesn't mean I will sleep with every pretty girl in a ten mile radius." Greg told his friend.

"You think I'm pretty?" Caitlyn asked him.

"You are unbelievably pretty." Greg told her.

"You're not too bad yourself." she laughed.

"Guys?" Nick warned.

"Nicky, calm down." Caitlyn laughed.

"Why don't me and Caitlyn go wash up these cups?" Abby suggested.

"Good idea." Caitlyn nodded.

As soon as they left, Nick turned to Greg. "That's my sister man."

"Can I not even flirt anymore?" Greg asked.

"This is why you have all these girls falling over you." Nick told him.

"Oh stop. That's so annoying." Greg groaned.

"You're not supposed to flirt once you have a girlfriend." Nick informed him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Greg asked.

"Greggo..." Nick laughed.

"You haven't called me that in a long time." Greg realised.

"Yeah, you're right." Nick agreed.

"I missed it." Greg smiled.

"I missed this. Us, hanging out." Nick told him.

"I miss it too. I miss a lot of things." Greg sighed.

"I miss all of us together." Nick added.

"Maybe California will be a fresh start." Greg suggested.

"California?" Nick asked.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me..." Greg begun.

"California?" Nick repeated.

"Girls? Come in here, I have something to tell you." Greg called.

"Mandy is being moved to L.A. for treatment, so the whole shift, new techs and everybody, we're doing an exchange with the L.A. crime lab. For two weeks." he explained.

"Back to California again?" Abby asked.

"That sounds pretty good right now." Nick smiled.

"I'll try and go alone." Caitlyn said.

"There was a helicopter last time you left. We'll just leave in a car, early in the morning. They won't see anything." Nick suggested.

"Where are we going to stay?" Abby asked.

"They said they have three houses? Four people in each. Two rooms in each. Right next to the hospital." Greg told them.

"Perfect." Abby grinned.

"So, you three together, and Mackenzie too? Hodges, Archie, Wendy and Henry. Then me, Kelly, Lexi, and Ashley." Greg suggested.

"That sounds good. Me and Abby will share a room, Cait, you can go with Mackenzie." Nick offered.

"Yes, then Hodges and Archie can share, Wendy and Henry can share." Greg explained.

"And which of your ladies will you be sleeping with?" Abby asked him.

"Kelly, obviously. Ashley and Lexi can have the other room." Greg told them.

"Perfect. Anything else we need to know?" Caitlyn asked.

"We leave tomorrow morning?" Greg told them.

"We better get ready." Nick realised.

"Me too. Would you mind contacting Archie actually? Because it's just..." Greg begun.

"I gettit. I'll call him and Hodges." Nick offered.

"You're going to be okay, right Caitlyn?" Greg asked her.

"Yeah. I'll be fine Greg." She smiled.

He went to hug her again, and when they pulled apart, Greg left. Seconds later, Caitlyn noticed something in her back packet. It was a handwritten note, in Greg's messy handwriting. Call me ;)

Less than thirty seconds later, Nick got a text from Greg. Just kidding.

They laughed.

So they were off to California, where it all begun.

Last time they had gone they were three blonde best friends, two smart brunette girls, a genius, shy guy, computer genius, his best friend the flirt, and his best friends other best friend, a CSI who hardly knew any of them.

But this time, there were a few changes, and three new girls.

Caitlyn. Practical, fun-loving. Stubborn when she wanted to be. She used to be constantly happy, always with a smile on her face. Now she stopped to look around her a lot, and was always scared, no matter where she was.

Ashley. Became a fingerprinting tech to meet hot guys in the police force. Giggled a lot. Had a thing for guys with spiky hair. Cheer captain in high school, slept in false eyelashes.

Mackenzie. Met Greg in the New York crime lab. Went out with him for a little bit, until he broke up with her because they just didn't have a spark. They stayed friends for a while, though Greg never quite understood how she passed her exams, because she was constantly calling her in for help with her ballistics.

They were going with a guy who had four blonde admirers, one of whom was suspposed to be his girlfriend, the other someone he had accidentally slept with, the other an ex girlfriend who had never quite gotten over him, the other a random blonde who had an obsession with ruffling his hair.

A guy from Texas who worried unatural ammounts, his girlfriend, an ex admirer of the first guy, and his sister, with a mysterious stalker.

An ex best friend of the first guy, and the self titled 'genius' that was sick of him following him around.

The girlfriend of the 'genius', and her best friend.

And his wife. In a coma.


End file.
